Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-07

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)

It is often argued that taking a gap year after finishing school in Oder to gain work experience or to travel. I completely disagree with this statement. The primary reason why I support this view is because after completing the school students are not mature enough to understand and take life decisions. They prefer short come result on long lasting rewards. There are huge chances of them to loose their interest in studying or completely quit education if they start earning. Consequently an unplanned gap year can take a heavy toll on young individuals Furthermore, another significant dis advantage of this approach is that by quitting studying for a long period of time students may loose the habit of studying. Gap year also make it difficult to concentrate when they go back to their studying routine which require mental focus to accomplish tasks. Consequently it also delays their education. His or her classmates are now become their seniors. It feels like you are left all alone because your peers are already a step ahead in their academic journey. It also slows down their career path. Their graduation is delayed now they are facing more competitors in the job market. This all results in constant social comparison, watching peers progress cause serve anxiety and mental health decline. In conclusion, although a gap year seems attractive, I believe it brings more disadvantages than advantages. It is much better for students to finish their higher education without any interruption to secure their future early.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The first sentence is a fragment, as it lacks a main verb to complete the argument about gap years. While the arguments regarding maturity and the loss of study habits are relevant, they are somewhat repetitive and could be better supported with more nuanced examples. The essay focuses heavily on the negative aspects of taking a gap year, which is a valid approach, but the discussion could be more balanced by acknowledging the counter-argument more effectively before refuting it. Overall, the response is relevant but lacks the depth required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, though the formatting is inconsistent with large gaps. The logical progression is generally clear, moving from the issue of maturity to the loss of study habits and social comparison. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', and 'In conclusion' are used, but the flow is occasionally mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where the transition between the loss of study habits and the social impact of being left behind feels slightly abrupt. Paragraphing is present, but the physical layout of the text makes it appear disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several spelling errors, such as 'Oder' instead of 'order', 'loose' instead of 'lose' (used twice), and 'serve' instead of 'severe'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat basic, relying on common phrases like 'huge chances' and 'short come result'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Improving spelling and using more precise academic vocabulary would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. The opening sentence is a fragment, and there are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'Gap year also make' and 'watching peers progress cause serve anxiety'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas after introductory phrases and some run-on sentences. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and pay closer attention to verb tense consistency and pluralisation.

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.