Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-27

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)

An increasing number of students are losing their interest to study science at university. This is mainly because of the complicated theory and lack of support from the mentors, and this can have negative affect on society such as lead to shortage of enough doctors and engineers.

First of all, there are multiple reasons why students do not value science at university. One of the viable point is that the lack of guidance, because there is not enough expert mentors to provide support to understand the complex theories. For example, when learners struggle to understand the complicated theory and concept about science, it discouraging them to choose their career path in science field. Therefor, I believe lack of guidance for expert mentors is the key reason why people are demotivated about studying science.

However, not choosing science can have some negative impact on countries and societies. When students choosing different alternative instead of studying science, countries and societies could face problem of doctors and engineer shortage, healthcare sector and infrastructure will affect the most. For instance, If people will not get enough treatment their survival chances will go down. Therefore I believe science is really essential for both a country and a society.

In conclusion, I would say critical theory and shortage of expert teachers are the key reasons why people are discouraged to pursue their study in science. Eventually, science can immensely helps a country's to boost their economy and developments, and government should be given more priority to this field by providing enough funds and experience teachers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both parts of the question and maintain a relevant focus: you identify limited guidance and difficult scientific theory as causes, then describe possible shortages of doctors and engineers as social effects. However, the causes are not explored equally: the discussion centres on mentoring, while the difficulty of the subject is mostly asserted rather than explained. The effects also need broader or more precise development; the example about reduced survival chances is relevant but does not show clearly how a shortage of science graduates leads to this outcome. Your conclusion adds funding and teacher support, but these points could be connected more directly to the causes discussed. Develop each main idea with a clear explanation and a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for causes and effects, and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument easy to follow. You also use signposting such as “First of all,” “However,” and “In conclusion.” At times, though, the links feel mechanical or the references are unclear. For example, “this” in the opening sentence could refer to the lack of interest or to the causes, and “Therefore I believe science is really essential” repeats a conclusion rather than advancing the effects paragraph. Improve progression by linking each explanation directly to the point before it and using pronouns only when their reference is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “complex theories,” “healthcare sector,” “infrastructure,” and “shortage,” so the reader can understand the subject and your main ideas. However, the range is limited and several word combinations or forms are inaccurate, which makes some sentences sound unnatural. Examples include “interest to study,” “viable point,” “negative affect,” and “shortage of enough doctors.” “Critical theory” also does not clearly express the intended idea of difficult scientific content. Aim for more precise academic collocations and check whether a noun, verb, or adjective is needed. These improvements would make your meaning clearer and help you express the causes and consequences more accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a cause-and-effect structure in the opening and a conditional example beginning “If people will not get enough treatment.” However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence structure sometimes make the reader pause. For instance, “when learners struggle … it discouraging them” needs a finite verb, while “When students choosing” needs a correctly formed verb phrase. In “science can immensely helps,” the modal should be followed by the base form. Practise building accurate clauses first, then combine them using conjunctions. Also check subject–verb agreement and punctuation, especially around introductory clauses.

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