Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-01

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)

I strongly believe that university education should be the right of every citizen and I also believe that the government should do whatever they can to facilitate it by making it very affordable or free in most cases, even if it means that they cover the running cost s of universities.

An educated society is a developed society. I cannot take away the importance of primary and secondary education but I also cannot undermine the esssence of tertiary education in a society, especially in the reformig of individuals. Universities are expensive, as seen in private universities. Students are being made to pay exhorbitant fees and these fees discourage people from going to univeristies. Those who are already enrolled dropout as they cannot keep up eith the expenses. I believe to a very large extent that government should step in an make universities free for all.

I believe that it is the governments dutyto make education affordable at all lveles. Major concern is being given to primary and secondary eduction but tertiary education is often overlooked and it should not be so. When university education is not subsidized and fees are expensive, it leads to a whole lot of individuals dropping out. And with these dropouts being idle, it leads to a rise in societal truancy as able-bodied individuals who should be in school learning are left idle because of non-affordability of universities.

Not subsidizing university eductaion makes professional courses even more expensive and a society in shortage of professionals; doctors, engineeers, scientists, is doomed to fail.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the opening: you strongly support government funding to make university affordable or free, and you maintain that view throughout. You give relevant reasons, including the effect of fees on enrolment and dropout rates, and the need for trained professionals. This addresses the question and shows some development. However, the argument is not fully balanced or specific: the claim that idle dropouts cause “societal truancy” is unclear, and the final point about professional shortages is asserted rather than explained with an example. To strengthen the response, develop how public funding could be paid for and acknowledge a possible concern, such as pressure on government budgets, before explaining why the benefits outweigh it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: it states a position, gives reasons in separate paragraphs, and ends with a further consequence of underfunding. Linking phrases such as “I believe” and “And with these dropouts” help show connections between ideas. However, the progression is sometimes repetitive, as the second and third paragraphs both focus on expensive fees and students leaving university. Some links are also mechanical, and the relationship between idle graduates and “societal truancy” is not made clear. Improve cohesion by giving each paragraph a distinct purpose—for example, access and dropout rates, then the wider economic need for professionals—and use clearer references and transitions to show how each point supports your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “tertiary education,” “subsidized,” “exorbitant fees,” and “professional courses.” These choices show an attempt to use more specific language than basic terms such as “education” and “cost.” However, spelling errors are noticeable, including “esssence,” “reformig,” “exhorbitant,” and “eductaion,” and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural. “Societal truancy” does not clearly convey the social consequence you intend, while “a society in shortage of professionals” is an awkward collocation. Aim for accurate spelling and more natural phrasing, such as “a shortage of professionals” and “social problems linked to unemployment.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the conditional idea “even if it means that they cover the running costs” and the cause-and-effect construction beginning “When university education is not subsidized.” Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are present. For example, “the governments dutyto make” needs a possessive form and spacing, and “government should step in an make” has an incorrect conjunction. The sentence beginning “Not subsidizing university education makes…” also needs clearer structure around the list of professions. Review possessives, verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries, then proofread carefully; more consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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

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