Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-02

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)

It is often argued by some individuals that authorities should bear all the costs of universities so students can get free education. I partially agree with this notion although it gives chance to everyone to get higher education, it will create financial burden on people.

To begin with, If government provide financial aid to educational institutions then it will be helpful for those students who could not afford fees. As a result it provides equal oppertunity to everyone to get free education.

On the other hand It will create financial burden on authorities. Owing to this governments impose new taxes on public to get those funds. which will increase inflamation in society.

In conclusion, if government provides funds to universities it will give benefits to students but this will also impose burden on authorit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 134 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you present a clear position and address both sides of the argument, the points are underdeveloped. For instance, the argument regarding 'inflation' is mentioned but not explained or supported with specific examples or logical steps. To achieve a higher band, you must expand your arguments with detailed explanations and relevant examples to reach the required length. The conclusion is also incomplete, cutting off mid-sentence, which further limits the task completion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive start. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with' and 'On the other hand' to signal transitions between ideas. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the lack of depth and the abrupt ending of the text. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels mechanical due to the brevity of the response. To improve, ensure that each paragraph contains a topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a concluding thought that links back to the main argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'get free education' and 'financial burden'. There are also spelling errors, such as 'oppertunity' and 'inflamation' (inflation). To improve, you should aim to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to economics and education. For example, instead of 'give chance', use 'provide access', and instead of 'get funds', use 'secure funding' or 'allocate resources'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('if government provide'), subject-verb agreement errors, and punctuation mistakes, such as starting a sentence with a lowercase letter after a period ('which will increase...'). The sentence fragments and the incomplete final sentence also negatively affect the overall grammatical control. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and using articles correctly before nouns.

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

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