Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-08

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)

INTRODUCTIO

In recent year online studying has become increasingly popular, with many student choosing to study independently through internet rather than attend a formal course. while this trend offers certain advantages in terms of paying different fees in the coaching centre, it also brings notable drawbacks that should not be overlooked.

BODY PRAGRAPH A

I partially agree with this statement, for the reason that student can choose their teacher as their choice they have a lot of resources videos or platform, anytime the scholar study or anywhere for example if a student travelling somewhere or they want to study English through their journey, therefore he can study without having any difficulty.

BODY PARAGRAPH

In terms of asking doubts to teacher, it can become difficult their misconstruction between teacher or student in face-to-face course you can ask question on the spot without having any confusion but during a live video you cannot ask directly it is possible, however sometimes it creates a lot of barriers between both persons. while studying online, often we open other social media app like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, at the end unknowingly we ended up getting lost in scrolling reels or shorts, without assistance of teacher, student find difficulties, self-study is good but the assistance of teacher is crucial in our study journey.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address the prompt by presenting a position, the arguments are underdeveloped. For instance, the point about 'resources' is mentioned but not explained in depth, and the discussion on 'barriers' in online learning is somewhat fragmented. To improve, you must expand on your points with specific examples or logical reasoning to reach the required length. The position is clear, but the lack of depth and the failure to meet the word count limit your score to a band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses basic paragraphing, but the logical flow is often interrupted by awkward phrasing and a lack of cohesive devices. Transitions between ideas are sometimes missing or mechanical, such as the abrupt shift in the second body paragraph. While the reader can follow your general argument, the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the progression feel disjointed. To improve, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'on the other hand') to connect sentences and paragraphs more fluidly, ensuring that each idea leads logically to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive or simple phrasing, such as 'study' and 'teacher'. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'misconstruction' instead of 'miscommunication' or 'misunderstanding'. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to education and self-directed learning. Additionally, work on using collocations more accurately to express your ideas with greater nuance and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('student can choose', 'scholar study') and awkward sentence construction ('there are lot of resources videos or platform'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences that lack proper conjunctions or full stops. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structure, ensuring subjects and verbs agree, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles or incorrect verb tenses.

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

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