Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-27

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)

students choosing to study english independently on a self study basis always struggle alot as they dont have propee guidance on how too approach the situation or questions , as in this modern world where use of social media is at peak students really struggle with their attention span as they are addicted to comsume short span contents thats why nowadays student really lack discipline alot.

perhaps that students choose to study english independently as they seem to find english more doable on self study basis compare to other subjects and thats why students to take it lightly and sturggle in future and in their exams most likely as without the assistance and guidance of teacher students wont really have proper pathway or idea on how to study or how to approach different questions which leads to finding difficult to manage studies, Moreover if we look at students studying independently they dont reallt get to correct themselves or they dont have a teacher to identify their mistake which leads to repeating mistake constantly and they make it their habitt which can be difficult to manage in long term.

Furthermore students studying independently really lack discipline and lack proper studying routine because of that most students waste theiir time on unusual things rather than studying so it is really difficult to manage it on their own. However attending formal course can be expensive and time consuming at same time.

I completely agree that it is difficult to manage studies on self study basis as students lack discipline and students should be guidied and then they can unlock their true and highest potential but at same time if student is disciplined and focused on their tasks and cam get proper feedback self study method can work quite efficiently

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you agree that independent learners often struggle, while acknowledging that self-study can work for disciplined students who receive feedback. You give relevant reasons, including lack of guidance, difficulty identifying mistakes, and weak study routines. These points address the question, but they are not all developed equally. For example, the claim that social media reduces students’ attention is introduced but not supported with a specific example or a clear link to managing English study. The point that formal courses can be expensive and time-consuming is also left unexplained. To strengthen the response, develop each main reason with a concrete example and explain how it supports your degree of agreement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall structure: it introduces the problem, gives reasons in the body, and ends with a qualified position. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “However” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is uneven because several points are packed into very long sentences, particularly the paragraph beginning “perhaps that students choose…”. The repeated use of “students” and “because of that” also makes the connections feel repetitive, while the final paragraph introduces the counterpoint about disciplined learners without developing it. Use clearer topic sentences, divide long sentences, and make each paragraph focus on one main reason or qualification.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “guidance,” “attention span,” “discipline,” “feedback,” and “potential.” These terms help communicate your main ideas. However, the range is limited by repeated general words such as “students,” “study,” and “difficult,” and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, including “short span contents,” “take it lightly,” and “manage it on their own.” Spelling errors such as “sturggle,” “habitt,” and “guidied” are noticeable and can distract the reader. Build a more precise range of collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe learners as “struggling to maintain a routine” or “receiving corrective feedback.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas using longer structures, including clauses with “as,” “because,” and “which,” and your meaning is generally recoverable. However, many sentences are run-ons, with several complete ideas joined by commas rather than separated or linked correctly. For instance, the opening sentence combines claims about guidance, social media, attention, and discipline without clear sentence boundaries. There are also errors in agreement and sentence construction, such as “students wont really have proper pathway” and “students waste their time.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent. Practise writing shorter, controlled sentences first, then combine related ideas with accurate conjunctions and punctuation.

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

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