Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-26

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)

Over the past few years, a considerable change has been witnessed in the attitude of undergraduates.It is an irrefutable fact that in many countries , very few students are studying science at the universities.This trend can be ascribed to a number of reasons along with its catastrophic effects which would be discussed in the following paragraphs.

To commence with, there are many causes behind this issue. The first and foremost is that some students think that studying at the university is quite challenging as the fees is expensive and they can not afford it. For instance,studying science includes experiments in the laborataries and practical training which charges additionally by the universities.Moreover, for few undergraduates universities are so far that to study their they need to leave their hometown and do not get the enough output.

However, this negative phenomenon leads to certain repercussions. The first adverse effect is that it may create shortage of qualified scientists, researchers.This could slow down the process of research and limit a country's ability to develop. Apart from it,industries that depend on scientific expertise may struggle alot to recruit the employees.

In a nut shell, the limited number of students passing from universities may hinder

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify both causes and effects, and the effects paragraph gives relevant consequences: a shortage of scientists could slow research, while industries may struggle to recruit. However, the causes are not fully convincing or clearly explained. The discussion of university fees and laboratory costs is general, and the point about universities being far away and students not getting “enough output” is unclear. The response also ends mid-sentence (“may hinder”), so the conclusion does not complete your answer or summarise the effects. The required minimum of 250 words is not met; this limits how fully you can explain and support the ideas. Develop each cause with a clear explanation and example, and finish with a complete conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on causes, one on effects, and an attempted conclusion. Linking phrases such as “To commence with,” “Moreover,” and “Apart from it” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression is limited because each main point receives little explanation, and the final paragraph breaks off before completing its idea. Some connections are also unclear, particularly the sentence about universities being far away and students not getting “enough output,” which makes the relationship between distance and the cause difficult to follow. Use clearer topic sentences, explain each point in a logical sequence, and ensure the conclusion is complete. Cohesive devices should support the reasoning rather than substitute for it.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “qualified scientists,” “researchers,” “scientific expertise,” and “repercussions.” These choices help communicate the central ideas, and some less common expressions are attempted. However, several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the fees is expensive,” “charges additionally,” “get the enough output,” and “industries … recruit the employees.” Spelling and form errors, including “laborataries” and “alot,” also reduce precision. “Catastrophic effects” is stronger than the consequences described, so a more measured term would fit better. Aim for natural collocations and precise wording, and check spelling carefully; for example, describe the additional costs of laboratory work rather than saying it “charges additionally.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex forms, including a relative clause in “industries that depend on scientific expertise” and a conditional structure in “This could slow down the process of research.” These structures generally make your meaning understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, however: “the fees is expensive” has an agreement problem, “some students think that studying at the university is quite challenging as…” creates an awkwardly joined explanation, and “universities are so far that to study their…” is not a well-formed construction. There are also punctuation and spacing issues, such as missing spaces after full stops and commas. Practise building clear cause-and-effect sentences, check subject–verb agreement and articles, and proofread sentence boundaries so that each idea is complete.

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