Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-13

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 vast majority number of students tends to study english independently by themselfs rather than joining the formal course but without teacher help many find it difficult to mange their studies which is true and i agree with this arugement. Because when they study independently they cannot see their limitations and shortcomings on their own as their teacher would have pointed.

A huge number of students choose to study english independently without joining any course or getting the assistance of teacher this leads to alot of them facing issues in managing their studies. I firmly agree with this because when they study themselfs without joining any course they would not know the complex grammer that english has and they would not also know their shortcomings too. For example an student learing in home with weak grammer which will not know the rules and which tense to use which he would have learned in the course as they teach all the rules and tense like past present future to use them in what situation.

Another thing is studying without the help of teacher which results in not knowing their limitations and issues. Because teacher know their student well and they can teach all the basics of english with their experience and can give tips along with feedback of student in which department he lacks. For example A student which is confuse which tense and sentence to use in whish sceanrio cannot learn unless an expert teaches him how to overcome this like practing and giving test on regular basis to improve his basics. One more thing is that when you learn in a lecture or with a teacher the student is more motivated to learn as compared to self learning as they can easily get distracted or lose motivation.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you agree that independent learners can struggle without a teacher. You address relevant reasons, including difficulty identifying weaknesses, learning grammar and maintaining motivation, and the examples about tense use and teacher feedback support your view. This meets the task well, though the development is uneven: the grammar example is explained at length, while the motivation point is only briefly stated. The response also repeats the claim that learners may not recognise their limitations rather than extending it with a distinct consequence or example. To strengthen the argument further, develop each reason with a specific, clearly explained example and make the relationship between the example and your position explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: the response begins with your position and then gives reasons and examples. However, the overall progression is not consistently clear because the opening repeats much of the first body paragraph, and the ideas about grammar, feedback and motivation are crowded together. Several links are mechanical or incomplete, such as beginning sentences with “Because” and “Another thing,” while repeated references to “limitations” and “shortcomings” do not advance the discussion. Paragraphing would be more effective if each paragraph focused on one reason, followed by its explanation and example. Use clearer referencing and a wider range of logical links so readers can follow how each point develops.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “independently,” “shortcomings,” “feedback,” “motivation” and “basics,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices, collocations and spelling errors make the writing less precise. Examples include “a vast majority number,” “teacher help,” “complex grammer,” and “in which department he lacks.” Repetition of “student,” “teacher” and “learn” also limits flexibility. Aim for accurate, natural phrases such as “a large number of learners,” “teacher support,” and “areas in which a student needs improvement.” Check spelling carefully and choose vocabulary that expresses each point directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including explanations with “when” and “as,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in sentence structure and punctuation sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow; for example, “Because when they study independently…” is an incomplete construction, and the opening sentence runs several clauses together. There are also errors in agreement, articles and verb forms, as in “an student,” “teacher know,” and “which is confuse.” These patterns recur, so readers must sometimes work to interpret the intended meaning. Practise building complete sentences with one main clause and a clearly attached supporting clause, then check agreement, articles and punctuation.

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

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