Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-22

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 lot of students' first choice is to study English alone rather than attend a formal course. But without the help of a teacher, student cannot manage their studies, as teachers are experts in their field. I agree that students should take teachers' help to understand their studies because self-study will not help them to understand basic rules, and teachers are experts in those rules.

Self-study is good if students already have a good understanding of the subject. English is an international language that has various kinds of rules and grammar. Students cannot manage to understand all the rules and cannot follow the structure if they do not have advanced knowledge of English. They spend most of their time trying to memorize the rules instead of understanding

the rules, which will not give them any benefits. They want to study however they want instead of any strict routine or study plan. For example, my little brother used to spend a lot of time wasting in memorizing rules, but in the exam he forgot them.

On the other hand, English teachers who are experts in their field have much experience teaching students. They can easily help students to understand the rules and how to write or speak in English. They offer formal courses which are beneficial for normal students who are weak in the English language. Tutors guided us on the best path where we can get our success. For instance, many students study in a coaching class or with a teacher in our country to get a better understanding of English.

In conclusion, getting a teacher is not a bad idea or a waste of time; instead, it gives us a clear vision and a better format to understand English by following them, so students can become experts in English easily.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you agree that learners generally benefit from teacher support, and both body paragraphs give relevant reasons. The contrast between self-study and formal instruction, along with the examples of your brother and students attending coaching classes, helps address the question. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, you say independent learners cannot understand “all the rules” without advanced knowledge, but do not consider how they might use books or online resources, or explain why teacher guidance is especially effective. The brother’s exam experience is relevant, but one personal example does not fully establish the broader claim. Develop the reasoning behind each example and acknowledge the circumstances in which self-study can work well to make the response more complete and convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, the body paragraphs present contrasting points, and the conclusion restates your position. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “For instance” help readers follow the argument. Some connections, however, are mechanical or unclear. The opening repeats the idea that teachers are experts, and the first body paragraph moves from grammar rules to study routines without clearly showing how these points connect. In “Tutors guided us on the best path,” the reference to “us” is not explained, so the example feels less integrated with the general argument. Use topic sentences that signal each paragraph’s main reason, and link examples explicitly to the claim they support. This would make the progression smoother and cohesion less repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main ideas, including “self-study,” “formal course,” “memorize,” “routine,” and “advanced knowledge.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “clear vision” and “better format,” though these are not natural in this context and make the meaning less precise. Several phrases are repetitive, particularly “rules” and “understand,” while “spend a lot of time wasting in memorizing” shows difficulty selecting a natural collocation. “Normal students” is also imprecise for the intended meaning. Build a wider set of accurate expressions for learning strategies and teacher support, and check collocations in context. More precise word choices would help you express the argument with greater flexibility and clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a reason clause in “I agree … because self-study will not help them” and a relative clause in “rules, which will not give them any benefits.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “student cannot manage their studies” has a singular-plural agreement mismatch; “if they do not have advanced knowledge” shifts from the earlier singular subject; and “my little brother used to spend” is followed by the faulty construction “wasting in memorizing.” There are also awkward sentence patterns, such as “Tutors guided us on the best path where we can get our success.” Practise consistent subject–verb agreement, pronoun reference, and verb patterns, then proofread longer sentences. This will improve accuracy while allowing you to retain varied structures.

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.