Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-07

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 6.5)

A significant number of students prefer to study English on their own rather than take formal classes. It is believed that without the help of a teacher, pupils frequently find it hard to manage their studies. I largely agree with this statement because self-study is time taking and without the guidance of a mentor and a structured course, it is very difficult to learn.

Self-study is a good thing but it is very time-consuming. This is because the student has to learn everything from the scrach, and if there is any difficulty in understanding a topic the person has to consult multiple resources to get a grasp of it. For example, when somebody is trying to learn something on their own they have to make extra efforts because there is nobody to help them understand.

Another reason is that without the presence of a structured course and a mentor, people are usually lost. This is because they do not know where to start from and what to learn. Also, teachers help students by constantly giving them feedback on how they are doing. Without a teacher a student would not really know what they are doing wrong. For example, when people study for a test they get a feedback on how they performed, while this facility is not available to students who choose to study independently.

In conclusion, self-study is a harder way to cover a subject because it takes more time and without a teacher's guidance it is difficult to know one's shortcomings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction: you largely agree that independent learners struggle without a teacher, and the conclusion returns to this view. You give two relevant reasons—self-study takes more time, and learners lack structure and feedback—and illustrate them with examples. This addresses the task, but the support is unevenly developed. The first example mainly restates that learners must make extra effort, while the test-feedback example is more specific but does not explain how feedback helps learners improve. To strengthen the response, develop each reason with a clearer consequence or a concrete personal or observed example, and briefly acknowledge why some students may still manage independent study successfully. That would make the argument more fully extended while preserving your clear position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a conclusion. The progression from time demands to the need for structure and feedback is logical, and signposts such as “Another reason” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. However, cohesion is somewhat mechanical because several sentences begin with “This is because,” and the examples do not always add a distinct step to the explanation. In the second body paragraph, the shift from not knowing what to learn to receiving test feedback could be linked more explicitly. Use a wider range of linking and referencing, and make each example clearly illustrate the point immediately before it. This would make the progression smoother and less repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including relevant terms such as “structured course,” “guidance,” “feedback,” and “shortcomings.” The meaning is generally clear, but the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which keeps expression from being consistently precise. For example, “time taking” is not the natural form here; “time-consuming” is appropriate, as you later use it correctly. “From the scrach” contains a spelling error, and “get a feedback” uses an unsuitable count form. “Cover a subject” is also less precise than “learn a subject” or “master the material.” Aim to vary repeated words such as “student” and “teacher,” and check spelling, collocations, and countable versus uncountable nouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if there is any difficulty … the person has to consult multiple resources” and “Without a teacher a student would not really know…”. Most sentences are understandable, and errors rarely obscure your meaning. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, particularly with articles and noun forms: “get a feedback” should be “get feedback,” and “without a teacher a student” would read more naturally as “without a teacher, a student…”. The sentence beginning “For example, when people study for a test…” also needs clearer punctuation and a more accurate contrast between the two groups. Continue using complex structures, but proofread articles, punctuation, and sentence boundaries to improve control.

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