Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-24

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)

Indubitably, learning is not a matter of age. Opinions differ as to say whether the learning ability of students rely on the competition among students or not. In the subsequent paragraphs, i shall discuss both the views points with my own perspective including supportive arguments.

To inaugurate, if kids are learning with the classmates having similar academic abilities, then there are higher chances that learners will study effectively because in such environment they will be learning without any stress or pressure of getting higher marks than others. It will lead them to understand academic topic properly and deeply. Ultimately, they will remember things for long time and their tendency to grab things accurately will become better.

On the paradoxical side, if children are studying in a class, where every child has their own ability and pace to perform various tasks provided by the tutor, then the possibility is that the young ones will compare themselves with rest of the students of class, which can further leads to two different approaches. Either the child can take it as a challenge and will work hard to obtain higher grades or it may lead to cause depression that he or she is not capable as others are. Consequently, it cannot be estimated from the idea that whether the student will consider it as an opportunity or an obstacle ,

In my perspective, every student is born with different abilities of learning and grasping things. Therefore, in order to uplift the horizon of their knowledge, distinct tasks should be given to them for performing irrespective of the fact how others are performing. Teacher should discover disparate methods of teaching to make their student learn better.

To encapsulate, although both views have their own profits , however, i reckon that learning potential of every kid is different, so to proliferate their grabbing power, we need to find various ways.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'similar academic abilities' is limited to the idea of reduced stress, while the 'diverse abilities' section focuses on the binary outcome of motivation versus depression. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesize the points made. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete examples or deeper analysis of how these classroom structures impact long-term learning outcomes, rather than just stating the potential psychological effects.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. The use of cohesive devices such as 'To inaugurate', 'On the paradoxical side', and 'To encapsulate' helps guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or unnatural, such as 'Indubitably' at the start, which is a bit over-formal and contextually awkward. Additionally, the referencing within sentences is occasionally unclear, such as in the final sentence of the third paragraph, where the connection between the student's reaction and the teacher's role could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, attempting to use more sophisticated terms like 'paradoxical', 'disparate', and 'proliferate'. However, there are several instances of awkward collocation and word choice. For example, 'grabbing power' and 'uplift the horizon' are not standard English collocations. 'Grab things' is also too informal for an academic essay. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, the lack of precision in these choices prevents a higher score. Focus on learning the specific contexts in which these more advanced words are used.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'Opinions differ as to say whether the learning ability of students rely' (subject-verb agreement error: 'relies') and 'it can further leads to' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor issues with spacing and comma usage. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your argument, they are frequent enough to indicate that you do not yet have full control over complex structures.

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

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