Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-18

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people feel that the government should pay the costs of running universities so that a university education will be free for anyone who wants it.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

It is often argued that, government should pay the cost of universities so students can get educated without paying to universities. As not everyone can afford to study in the universities. I strongly agreed with this statement and elaborate it.

Firstly, As i was a student of college I always wished to study further in university and get more knowledge. Many of of friends moved to university after completing their bachelors in college to get masters. But my family can not afford the fee of university i could not go there. My thinking is not like to give free education to all students but government can set a ratio of marks in pervious exams and give them free education to those like who have above 80 percent in marks. For example i got 90 percent in my bachelors degree in college but my family can not afford the fee to go in university.

Secondly, If government give chance to young generation to get free study in universities there will be positive aspect for government. Like if when students complete their study they will help in the growth of economy. For instance they will get knowledge to improve the quality of living and improve their businesses.

In my personal opinion, If students can not afford the fees to get study in universities and if government wants to get help in economical growth this decision to free study will help in both ways.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but the development is limited. While you provide a personal example, the argument remains somewhat superficial. The task requires a minimum of 250 words, and at 241 words, the response is under-length. This negatively impacts the depth of your analysis, as the ideas are not fully extended. To improve, you should aim to provide more detailed explanations and perhaps a broader perspective on the societal implications of free university education, rather than relying primarily on personal anecdotes. The proposal to use a 'marks ratio' is a good idea, but it needs more elaboration to be fully convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'For instance' to link ideas. However, the progression between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the flow is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors. The referencing is generally clear, but the transition between your personal experience and the broader economic argument could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that directly supports your overall position.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks the precision required for higher bands. Phrases like 'get knowledge', 'get free study', and 'get help' are used frequently, which limits the sophistication of your writing. You attempt some topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'economy' and 'bachelors degree', but there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic collocations. To improve, try to vary your word choices and use more academic synonyms. For example, instead of 'get knowledge', use 'acquire academic qualifications' or 'broaden one's intellectual horizons'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. For instance, there are issues with article usage ('the government', 'the cost'), subject-verb agreement ('my family can not afford'), and sentence fragments ('As not everyone can afford...'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage and capitalization of 'I'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the text from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, especially regarding articles and verb tenses.

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

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