Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-21

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)

It is often argued that which one is the better method of studying, whether to study with assistance of tutor, or to study independently on themselves. This essay particularly supports the idea of self-study. I believe that there should not be a tutor or teacher who limits the knowledge of a student.

Teachers are beneficial for student in some particlar ways. They help students to navigate thei path of studying. With the help of them students tend to learn things quicker and make less mistakes during the process of learning. For example, when teacher gives an instruction, the student who is following that will be unaware of misconception and with an explanation of tutors they will tend to have more comprehension. But these things are limited within range of the tutor's knowledge as it is impossible to teach what they are not conversant. Moreover, false knowledge, which hurts students more than knowing nothing can be taught by inadequate teachers.

Nevertheless, I believe that studying independently gives profound knowledge as long as there is sufficient amount of resources, which is furnished well with use of internet nowadays. Also, self-studying requires more intention to study and feels more casual as there is nobody forming pressure and demanding something to achieve except themselves. For example, when a student studying on themselves, there will be no teacher to blame them and form pressure which will feel less stressful. Also, every study session will acquire "True desire" to study which is a key to learn something deeply instead of waiting for teacher to end the study sessioin.

To sum up all the stages I have mentioned, studying inedependently is mor profound and stress-free rather than with an assistance of teacher when there is adequate amount of study resource.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is identifiable: you support independent study, while acknowledging that teachers can help learners progress and correct misunderstandings. This gives the response a relevant basis for addressing the question. However, the task asks how far you agree that students struggle to manage their studies without a teacher, and your main reasons—avoiding limits on knowledge and feeling less pressure—do not directly explain how learners manage planning, motivation, or difficulties. The point about access to online resources is relevant but needs a specific example and fuller explanation. The discussion of teachers’ possible limitations also takes space without clearly weighing the stated difficulty. Develop your position by explaining when self-study is manageable and what strategies or resources help students overcome its challenges.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on teachers, a contrasting paragraph supporting self-study, and a conclusion. Connectors such as “Moreover,” “Nevertheless,” and “To sum up” help signal the broad direction of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow. For instance, the first body paragraph moves from teachers helping students to the limits of their knowledge and then to false information, without clearly linking these points to the question of managing independent study. References such as “these things” and “that” are not always precise, and repeated use of “Also” makes the linking feel mechanical. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example explicitly to the main claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt some topic-related and less common vocabulary, including “misconception,” “profound knowledge,” “adequate,” and “comprehension.” These choices show an effort to discuss learning beyond basic terms. However, the range is limited by repeated wording such as “study,” “teacher,” and “student,” and several inaccurate or unnatural combinations make meaning less clear. Examples include “study independently on themselves,” “sufficient amount of resources,” and “every study session will acquire ‘True desire’.” There are also spelling errors, including “particlar,” “sessioin,” and “inedependently.” Aim for accurate collocations and vary repeated terms—for example, use “learners,” “independent learning,” and “study materials” where appropriate. Proofreading would also help prevent spelling slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning with “when,” “which,” and “as long as.” This gives you a basis for expressing explanations and contrasts. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some passages harder to understand. For example, “It is often argued that which one is the better method” has an incorrect clause structure, while “when a student studying on themselves” is missing a finite verb. There are also problems with articles and agreement in “for student” and “when teacher gives,” and the sentence beginning “For example, when teacher gives an instruction” shifts awkwardly between singular and plural references. Practise building shorter, complete sentences first, then combine them while checking verb forms, articles, and agreement.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.