Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that children learn better when they are placed in classes with children of similar academic abilities. Others believe that children learn better when they are in classes with children representing a diverse range of academic abilities.

Discuss both these views and give your opinion

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays everyone is comparing themselves with others and this will result in demotivation and led people to think that they are not doing good enough. Usually thius begain at the school when we start comparing students with each other and then goes futhure when we are at public place or at work. In this essay I will discuss that how students can grow when they are studying in a classroom full of different students rather than only one type of academic ability.

Firstly, students should not be seprated on the basis of their abilities because we learn from each other. If children are allowed to meet others who are doing better in other activities they will learn from them. for example a student good in maths can help other in solving the problems whereas the student good in sports can also teach something to others. Moreover, both type of students will feel supportive and motivative. Secondly, it will reduce the discrimination in the school. for instance if students are differentiated on the basis of their ability then can also be discriminated on their disalities.

Whereas, some people think that students should be seprated on the basis of their abilities so that they can feel competative and can do much better. Like, if in section A their are students who are good in science they will work much harder to shine more brightly then others which will expand their horizon. But by this they will not be able to learn other skills at which they are not doing to good and have a limited scope in future and it will also reduce their confidence in their subjects.

To conclude, the sections should not be according to the students ability, that should be mixed so that students can learn from eachother. Moreover, if this will build the compitition it will also be the root cause for discrimination in the school.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a clear preference for mixed-ability classes, especially in the introduction and conclusion, and you give relevant reasons: students can learn from one another and mixed classes may reduce discrimination. You also explain the opposing view that grouping by ability could encourage competition and stronger performance in a subject. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The examples about a maths student helping others and science students trying to “shine more brightly” are brief, and the consequences are not fully explained. The claim that ability grouping could lead to discrimination based on disabilities is also unclear. Develop each view with a more specific example and explain how it supports your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting mixed-ability classes, a paragraph presenting ability grouping, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “Whereas” help signal the stages of the discussion. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Whereas” begins a paragraph without a complete contrastive structure, and “But by this” does not clearly identify the idea it refers to. The conclusion repeats the preference but introduces competition and discrimination without clearly connecting them. Use clearer references and transitions, and make each paragraph progress from a main point to its explanation and example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “academic abilities,” “discrimination,” “confidence,” and “limited scope,” and the reader can generally understand your main ideas. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the writing less precise, such as “demotivation,” “competative,” and “motivative.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “doing good enough,” “shine more brightly,” and “expand their horizon.” Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “discouraged,” “motivated,” and “broaden their knowledge” would help express your ideas clearly without relying on repeated general words like “students” and “better.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “If children are allowed to meet others … they will learn from them.” This shows some range, but control is inconsistent, and errors occur frequently enough to make parts of the response difficult to follow. For example, “this will result in demotivation and led people” shifts verb form, while “if students are differentiated … then can also be discriminated” lacks a clear subject. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and sentence construction, as in “their are students” and “both type of students.” Practise building accurate clauses and checking that each sentence has a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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