Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-31

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 think that when kids of similar academic abilities are placed in the class they learn better. Some people do not want their children to be left out in their school life. I disagree with this completely. Because when children are with other kids with the same level of academic abilities they will not improve. The kids will learn those things which are already in their minds. There would be no positive challenge for them to enhance their way of thinking at school to improve their learning skills. When kids are not given difficult tasks they will not to able to think out of the ordinary.

While others believe that when children are in a class with other kids whom represent a wide and diverse range of abilities in school they learn better. The individuals opinion is that they can observe and adapt in that envoirnment to boost their way of learning in school. Moreover, they can significantly improve their learning abilities when are kept in an atmosphere with different kind of intelligent pupils. I think the same like these group of people, children showing a various kinds of intelligence in school can be highly beneficial for all of the learner who are in the same class.

According to my perspective kids should not be kids with other kids of the same level of thinking abilities. Suppose that all the kids in the class think the same and are equal abilities in their studies they will not learn and adapt to the modern world.

When i was a child my parents put me in a school, the school reputation was not very good. The students in my class were all the same. Once a teacher asked a class inside the class and all the answers were similar. Unfortunately, their way of thinking, doing homework, writing assignments were almost identical. I failed in that class twice then my parents got me in to another school, after few weeks i improved gradually in that school.

In contract, it is better for the children to be placed with kids of diverse mindset in school. To improve them intellectually so they will do much better in their studies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. For instance, the argument that students in homogeneous classes 'will not improve' is stated multiple times without exploring the potential benefits of such grouping, such as targeted instruction. The personal example provided is relevant but could be more effectively linked to the broader theoretical discussion. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more nuanced reasoning for both sides of the debate rather than focusing primarily on your own perspective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'In contract' (intended as 'In contrast') and 'The individuals opinion is that' create confusion. The progression of ideas between paragraphs is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing (e.g., 'these group of people') is imprecise. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to their antecedents would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'think out of the ordinary' and 'different kind of intelligent pupils'. Spelling errors like 'envoirnment' also occur. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the overall range is limited, and you rely on simple, repetitive structures. Expanding your vocabulary to include more academic collocations and synonyms would help you convey your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'kids... whom represent'), missing articles, and incorrect preposition usage. For example, 'I think the same like these group of people' is grammatically incorrect. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from achieving a higher score. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips would be highly beneficial.

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

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