Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

A huge number of students choose to study English independently on a self- study basis rather than attend a formal course. However, without the assistance of a teacher, students often find it difficult to manage their studies.

To what extent do you agree or disagree ?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays, majority of student opts to learn English by themselves, without following a formal course. While it is true that, a lack of assistance can cause some chaos in their study, most of them, however, overcome them eventually.

There are of course some notable disadvantages. Language is largely based on our brain. So, at childhood, as human brains were highly adaptable and could learn any language in relatively short period of time. However, as the age increases, the adaptability of brain is highly diminished, thereby mastering a new language other than mother tongue a bit challenging. On top of that, without any formal teacher, a student could find it tough to manage their timetable, which in turn affect their study greatly.

Nevertheless, in this modern era, a learner could easily tackle the aforementioned issues easily. Nothing is impossible for human being. Through sheer will perseverance a person can achieve anything, even if it is the hard task of learning a new language. Moreover, learning anything alone in this 21st century largely depends on how we can utilise the power of artificial intelligence. For instance, large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini could be used easily to learn English. They can help with grammar, subject-verb agreement, vocabulary building and most importantly they can be used to draft an English course outline and daily routine. So that, even without the assistance of a mentor, a student can manage their study with any difficulties.

In conclusion, at the end of the day, learning English depends on student's power of perseverance. A student, who attend formal course, could easily fail, if he/she does not have the curiosity to learn.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that self-study is manageable with modern tools. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The second paragraph discusses the biological challenges of learning a language, which is a relevant point, but the connection to the prompt's focus on 'managing studies' is slightly tangential. The third paragraph effectively introduces the role of AI as a solution, which is a strong, modern argument. To reach a higher band, you should ensure that each paragraph directly links back to the core issue of 'managing studies' rather than general language acquisition difficulties. The conclusion is a bit brief and could have better summarised the main arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organised with clear paragraph breaks. You use some cohesive devices like 'Nevertheless', 'Moreover', and 'For instance' effectively to guide the reader. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the use of 'easily' twice in the same sentence in the third paragraph. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'them' in the first paragraph, which lacks a clear antecedent. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to previous nouns would enhance the overall flow and cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'adaptable', 'diminished', and 'perseverance'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'majority of student' (should be 'the majority of students') and 'at childhood' (should be 'in childhood'). You also use some informal phrasing like 'at the end of the day', which is acceptable but could be more academic. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring subject-verb agreement with plural nouns. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but lacks the sophistication required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'as human brains were highly adaptable' (tense inconsistency), 'a student could find it tough to manage their timetable, which in turn affect their study' (subject-verb agreement error: 'affects'), and 'with any difficulties' (should be 'without'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are unnecessary commas, such as in 'While it is true that, a lack of assistance'. Increasing the accuracy of your complex structures will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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