Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-25
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 6.0)
Everyone has a right to educate themselves by getting admission in a university, so, authorities ought to be paid their fees to educational centers is believed by few individuals.
I partially agree with this statement because this will help to boost economic growth and this also put the impact on other factors such as healthcare and many more.
On the one hand, if government pay the fees to university then this will assist to reduce the poverty line. In an explanation, most of people unable to get education because of poverty. Therefore, having proper education helps to make their future bright and country as well by providing skilled workforce, including doctors, engineers, researchers which directly drives technological innovation and increase overall economic productivity.
On the other hand, fully subsidizing university education can lead to serve economic and structural issues. First, the financial strain on the government is immense, potentially forcing budget cuts in other sectors namely public healthcare and primary education. Second, when higher education is free, this can lead to degree inflation, where an oversupply of graduates reduces the market value of a university degree. Consequently, many graduates may find themselves underemployed or working in a jobs that do not require specialized higher qualifications.
In conclusion, although providing free university education keeps social equality and strengthens the workforce, I believe government should not pay the full costs for everyone, but should instead provide scholarships or grants to those who demonstrate merit and financial need.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the essay is slightly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which impacts the development of ideas. While the arguments regarding economic growth and the potential for degree inflation are relevant and well-structured, they could have been expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis to fully meet the requirements of the task. The conclusion provides a balanced summary, but the overall brevity prevents a more comprehensive exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two sides of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently' are used to guide the reader through the text. However, there are some minor issues with flow and referencing, such as the awkward phrasing in the opening sentence, which slightly disrupts the logical progression of the introduction.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated terms like 'degree inflation', 'underemployed', and 'subsidizing'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'authorities ought to be paid their fees' and 'put the impact on'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the range and precision of the language. A wider variety of collocations and more natural phrasing would improve the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'most of people unable to get education' (missing verb) and 'working in a jobs' (incorrect article usage). The sentence structure in the introduction is particularly convoluted and grammatically weak. While the errors do not prevent understanding, they occur frequently enough to suggest that the writer has not yet mastered complex grammatical structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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