Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-07

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries not enough students are choosing to study science at university. What are the causes of this? What effects does it have on society?

Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Majority of the people are not choosing to study science at university in many countries. This has cause a huge impact on the society. I firmly believe that, in the modern world this has cause a negative development. In the subsequent paragraphs, I will discuss the causes and effects this change has put on the society.

Everyone knows that things are getting out of hand nowadays as daily expenses are getting hard to obtain due to inflation. Keeping this in view, science subjects takes alot of time and effort to train their students. That means it costs university alot of expenses for instance, providing students a professor, giving them a lab so that students will perfom practically and many more other facilities. Similarly, these courses are expensive and some students can't afford it. And in my opionion, science are for disciplined and responsible students. The ones that are geniunely interested in it, who loves gaining and exploring things related to science.

On the other hand, science is a tough subject. It takes half of your time learning and mastering in it. That is also on the reasons. Secondly, as the world is growing many fields have come to life. For example, social media is very dominant. Many people wants to choose a shorter path from where they can earn massively by doing small efforts. Personally, I think smart work is a better choice. These includes leaning skills such as freelancing, editing and many more.

On the contrary, people should focus on studing science subjects as well because this has causes the backwardness in the socitey. Many new diseases have taken birth as population is inceasing rapidly. So the cure is necessary. The solution will come only when more students take interest in science.

In conclusion, most people avoid studying science in university because of financial situation and this has caused negative effect on society. They will be left behind in the field of science.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes and effects. However, the development is somewhat superficial. While you mention financial costs and the difficulty of science as causes, the explanation is repetitive and lacks depth. For example, the point about 'social media' and 'shorter paths' is a relevant observation but is not clearly linked to the broader societal impact of a lack of scientists. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the points made. To improve, ensure each paragraph provides a clear, well-supported argument with specific examples rather than general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or misused. For instance, 'On the contrary' is used incorrectly in the fourth paragraph, as it does not introduce a contrasting point to the previous paragraph. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'That is also on the reasons.' Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words (e.g., 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' 'in contrast') would help the flow of ideas significantly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'things are getting out of hand' and 'earn massively.' You also rely on basic vocabulary like 'tough' and 'good choice.' There are some spelling errors, such as 'opionion,' 'geniunely,' 'studing,' and 'socitey,' which indicate a need for more careful proofreading. To reach a higher band, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and societal development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'science subjects takes,' 'science are,' 'this has causes') and incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'This has cause'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent tense usage throughout your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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