Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-24

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)

A large number of students want to study English freely rather then attending class of English language, from my perspective, I fully agree to the statement.

Students studying on their own means driving a car without brakes. It is pivotal for students learn English with the assistance of their mentors. Teachers provide guidelines to students. They share the rules of English grammar to them, without a teacher student would find it extremely hard and harsh to learn English.

Moreover, formal courses are taught step by step like firstly, basic level for beginners and advance level for elders, teachers know how to teach and what to teach at the right time period. If a students would be on his own he or she may confronts distraction.

Furthermore, teachers have many years of experience at the field of teaching, they know and understand easy tips and tricks which are crucial for any student to adopt. If a student make mistake, he could ask his mentor anytime at the class or after the class. Teachers take mock test to shine the fluency of English language to their student.

However, some students try to learn English through internet, they go and watch videos on youtube to understand and learn English. With the help of Google, they try to learn English, but as internet could misguide students, while teachers don.t. For instance, I wanted to learn English, at first, I searched on the internet to learn English language there, but without proper guidance, I was distracted. Then i joined an institution where under the mentorship of great teachers, I ultimately learned English.

In a nutshell, students having the guidance of a mentor to learn English is a better idea rather then learning English independently.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments provided, such as the importance of teacher guidance for structure and the potential for distraction when studying alone, are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. For instance, the point about 'tips and tricks' is mentioned but not fully explained. The essay would benefit from more specific examples or a more nuanced exploration of why self-study might be difficult beyond just 'distraction'. The conclusion clearly restates the position, ensuring the task requirements are met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'In a nutshell' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, though the internal structure of some paragraphs could be improved to ensure a smoother flow. Referencing is mostly clear, but there are instances where the connection between sentences could be tighter to enhance the overall readability of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'learn English' and 'students'. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'mentorship', 'formal courses'), there are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'at the field of teaching' instead of 'in the field of teaching' and 'harsh to learn' which is an unnatural collocation. A wider variety of synonyms and more sophisticated phrasing would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'rather then' (should be 'than'), 'If a students would be' (subject-verb agreement), and 'If a student make mistake' (tense error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and periods (e.g., 'teachers don.t'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. More attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage is needed.

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

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