Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-17

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)

Some individuals have a notion that young students with similar academic knowledge should be placed in one class. while some believe that class should be diversified. Well personally I think diversification is more important. This essay will discuss both the views and opinion.

Firstly, the reason why some might think its a good idea to put all the identical thinkers in one room could be because of natural way of people saying - "all should treat equally". For instance in a school of 200 children there is an exam where they each score differently and due to that top 50 who scored way better were placed in top section and rest 50-50-50 in lower and lower sections. Because of that people start thinking that it is not fair and all student have right to have equal opportunity and education.

Secondly, coming to the other side of the court where people say that- "they all are different and thats when they learn better". I believe that is true, keeping all the kids with different thinking under one roof. for this a good example is a kid who is slow in recording things and the child sitting next to him is good at remembering can help him and teach ways to get better in things he is not good at and vice versa.

To conclude, I am with the diversification supporters because thats how we are suppose to be. Helping each other and get better in things we are not good at by asking friends. While both have there own pros and cons.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is quite limited. The explanation of why some prefer ability-based grouping is confusing, as it conflates 'equal opportunity' with the practice of streaming students. The second body paragraph relies on a very simple example of peer tutoring, which lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you need to expand your arguments with more sophisticated reasoning and specific, well-explained examples. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively summarise the main points discussed in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is basic and occasionally mechanical, such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly'. Some transitions are missing or awkward, for example, 'coming to the other side of the court'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the internal logic within the paragraphs needs to be strengthened to ensure the reader can follow your argument without effort. Paragraphing is present but the ideas within them are not fully developed or linked effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive language such as 'good idea', 'different', and 'things'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'natural way of people saying' and 'recording things', which sound unnatural. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education, such as 'academic streaming', 'heterogeneous classrooms', or 'peer-assisted learning', rather than relying on informal phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For instance, there are issues with subject-verb agreement ('all student have right'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms ('are suppose to be'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several run-on sentences and misused commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. You should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed correctly.

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

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