Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Write about the following topic:

Many young people choose to take a year out between finishing school and starting university in order to gain work experience or to travel. The experience of non-academic life this offers benefits the individual when they return to education.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays,many young people decide to make a gap year after finishing school and before starting university. During this time, they travel or gain work experience.

Firstly, taking a year off gives young people a chance to gain work experience. They can learn how to communicate with others ,manage their time and work in team. These skills are very userful in universities,colleges as weel as in their future jobs. for example- a student who works in a restaurant can learn how to deal different types opf people and become more confidenu.

Secondly, travelling to different places can help students learn about new cultures and lifestyles. They can meet news people and understand new different ways of living.Moreover, travelling makes them more independent and more responsible, As a result, when they return to their studies, they may have a better attitude towards education and can focu more on their goals.

In Conclusion, I completely agree that taking a gap year is a good idea for young people.It provides valuable work experience, improves confidence and helps them more responsible before starting university.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you completely agree that a gap year can benefit young people, and you address both work experience and travel. The examples of learning to communicate in a restaurant and encountering different cultures are relevant. However, the response addresses the task only partially because these ideas are briefly stated rather than explained in depth; for instance, you do not show specifically how workplace skills or cultural awareness improve university study. The conclusion repeats the main benefits but adds little development. The response is also 71 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to explain and support your points. Develop each main idea with a specific example and a clear link to academic life.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting work and travel, and a conclusion. Sequencing is easy to follow, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Moreover,” and “In Conclusion” help identify the stages of the argument. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical because the paragraphs rely heavily on these explicit transitions, and some links between claims are not fully explained. For example, the move from travelling to becoming more responsible and then focusing on study is understandable, but the causal connection could be developed. Improve progression by connecting each example directly to its effect on university learning, and use referencing or varied linking expressions to avoid relying mainly on formulaic signposts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including relevant terms such as “work experience,” “different cultures,” “independent,” and “responsible.” There are also attempts at useful phrases such as “deal with different types of people.” However, the range is limited and some word choices or forms are inaccurate, including “make a gap year,” “learn about new cultures and lifestyles,” and “become more confidenu.” Spelling errors such as “userful,” “weel,” and “focu” are noticeable and reduce precision, even though the overall meaning remains clear. Aim for more accurate collocations and check spelling carefully. More specific vocabulary about transferable skills and academic benefits would also help you express your ideas with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple sentences and some longer structures, including “when they return to their studies” and “As a result,” to show time and consequence. Most of the message is understandable, but there are some errors in sentence construction and punctuation. For example, “They can learn how to communicate with others, manage their time and work in team” needs a more accurate article and parallel phrasing, while “a student who works in a restaurant can learn how to deal different types of people” has missing grammatical elements in the verb pattern. Capitalisation and spacing are also inconsistent, as in “for example-” and “In Conclusion.” Practise accurate complex sentences and proofread punctuation, articles, and prepositions while retaining your clear basic sentence patterns.

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