Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-19

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 5.0)

In the contemporary era, some people believe that the government should support universities so that they can provide free education to students. I firmly agree with that view because it is more convenient for learners who want to pursue their higher education. In this essay, I will provide arguments to support my agreement with this perspective.

One compelling reason for agreeing with this view is that many students have the ability to achieve their goals but unfortunately, they have no financial resource for continuing their studies. Some students get scholarships after achieving high marks. Nevertheless, some learners can not get this chance. Therefore, they may give up on their studies. For example, I know a student who was good in studies. He always gets A grade in every semester. He has completed only two semesters then he left the university. His father was not abl

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under-length at 145 words, failing to meet the 250-word minimum requirement. This severely limits the development of ideas. While you state a clear position in the introduction, the essay is incomplete, cutting off mid-sentence. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. To improve, you must ensure you provide a full introduction, at least two well-developed body paragraphs with supporting evidence, and a clear conclusion. The current lack of completion prevents a higher score as the argument remains underdeveloped and the task is not fully fulfilled.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay shows a basic attempt at logical organization with an introduction and the start of a body paragraph. However, because the text is incomplete, the overall progression is interrupted. You use some cohesive devices like 'In this essay' and 'One compelling reason', which help with flow, but the abrupt ending makes it impossible to assess the full structure or the effectiveness of your paragraphing. To improve, focus on completing your thoughts and using a wider variety of linking words to connect your arguments more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the task, such as 'contemporary era', 'pursue', and 'compelling reason'. However, the range is limited, and there are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'no financial resource' (should be 'financial resources') and 'good in studies' (should be 'good at studying'). The vocabulary is sufficient for the limited content provided but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. Expanding your vocabulary to include more academic collocations and topic-specific terminology would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'He always gets A grade' (missing article 'an') and 'he left the university' (tense inconsistency with 'has completed'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and maintaining consistent verb tenses throughout your writing. Increasing the variety of complex structures will also help improve your score.

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

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