Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-10
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 5.0)
Many young individual takes a huge life decision like dropping a year after finishing school and commencing university . It is maybe because of gathering experience of non-academic benefits. Some may work as waiter, bartender, cleaner which are mainly part time jobs and other may travel through the world especially those who have got plenty of money. I think people can have knowledge of how to deal real life problems. For instance managing basic life rights like managing own's food, clothing, shelter etc. and travelling broadens the mind. If a person see various part of life then it may make him sympathetic to the needy people. they may feel at ease before starting a new chapter of life. It may refresh their mind. But I think a disadvantage is a whole year of study gap. The already procrastinating pupils can become more accustomed to not studying that again starting may feel like burden.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 153 words. Consequently, the development of ideas is significantly restricted. While you address the prompt by discussing both the benefits (gaining life experience, broadening the mind) and the drawbacks (study gap, procrastination), the arguments are underdeveloped and lack sufficient supporting evidence or examples. To achieve a higher band, you must expand your points with more detailed explanations and ensure you meet the length requirement to allow for a full exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear paragraph structure, as it is presented as a single block of text. While there is a basic logical progression from the introduction to the benefits and then the drawbacks, the lack of paragraphing makes it difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used sparingly and sometimes inaccurately, such as the abrupt transition 'But I think a disadvantage'. To improve, you should organise your ideas into distinct paragraphs (introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion) and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your sentences more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple phrasing such as 'huge life decision' and 'plenty of money'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'managing basic life rights' (which is unclear) and 'travelling broadens the mind' (which is a good idiom but used in a limited context). To improve, focus on using more academic vocabulary and precise collocations that fit the formal tone of an IELTS essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Many young individual takes'), missing articles ('as waiter, bartender'), and awkward phrasing ('managing own's food'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around punctuation marks. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors impact the overall fluency and accuracy of the writing. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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