Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-17

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 4.0)

A large population of students opt towards studying English on one's own, instead of attending an authorized course. Although, without the guidance of a teacher, students usually find is hard to manage their studies.

I disagree with the statement that students find in difficult to manage studies without enrolling into a formal course. There are alot of online teachers and books that teach without making students enroll. A student can get alot of help from AI and other softwares which can help

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

Your position is clear: “I disagree” directly answers the question, and you begin to support it by mentioning online teachers, books and AI tools as alternatives to formal courses. However, the response is far too brief to address the task adequately: it contains 82 words, below the required 250. The ideas are introduced but not explained or supported with relevant examples, and the discussion does not show how learners can manage their studies independently. The opening also repeats the prompt rather than developing your argument. To strengthen the response, explain specific benefits of independent study, acknowledge any difficulties, and give a concrete example of how a learner can plan and monitor progress.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the topic, states your disagreement, and begins giving reasons. The contrast signalled by “instead of” and “without” helps connect the opening ideas. However, the answer ends abruptly after “which can help,” so the final point is incomplete and there is no developed paragraph structure or conclusion. The relationship between online teachers, books and AI is also not explained, leaving the argument as a list rather than a progression. Organise the response into an introduction, separate body paragraphs for your main reasons, and a conclusion. Use linking phrases to show how each example supports your position, and complete each idea before moving on.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “guidance,” “formal course,” “online teachers” and “manage their studies,” so the reader can identify the subject and your position. However, the range is narrow and several expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “a large population of students opt towards” and “authorized course.” “Alot” is also incorrectly written as one word, and “softwares” is not the usual plural form of “software.” These choices limit precision, although the main meaning remains understandable. Aim for natural academic collocations and more specific terms, such as “many learners choose to study independently” and “digital learning tools.” Proofread spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt a complex opening with “Although,” and use a direct statement of opinion, which shows some variety beyond simple sentences. Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors and incomplete structures are noticeable. In “Although, without the guidance of a teacher, students usually find is hard,” the clause is punctuated incorrectly and “is” should be “it”; “find it difficult” would be a clearer construction. “I disagree with the statement that students find in difficult” also contains an incorrect pronoun, and “manage studies” needs a determiner such as “their.” The final sentence is unfinished, so its structure cannot be assessed fully. Practise accurate complex clauses and check pronouns, articles and sentence completion.

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

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