Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-15

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)

There is an ongoing debate about whether that many young people take a short break between finishing school and starting university for gain work experience or travel. Its beneficial for mind and also build the confident, on the other hand continuosly work or study are causes of illness. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why i believe that taking a break is beneficial for health.

I firmly believe that taking a break form study is giving a good impact on your mental and personal health. when you take break for gaining work experience or travel, it is also good for mental health. To illustrate, when you join a company ,you are entring a new environment, it will impact on your communication skills and build a confident. However traveling is also a crucial factor to improve your communication skills. In contrast, It will also help to improve your confident when you return your education.

On the other factor ,I disagree because of that when you continusly study. It give a huge dilemma to your mental and physical health. For instance, study is a good habbit but when you study without any break ,it will be the cause of anxouity and pressure. Furthermore , its challenging to for your physical health. Nevertheless ,it creates substantion number of disease.

Many people believe that take a year out between finishing school and university is good for mind relaxation. One of the major reason is, its he helps when you go back to your study area. travel and work experience is the reason of better communication and confidents. Consequently, this is play the essential rule to build confident and knowledge.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. While you mention that taking a break is beneficial for mental health and communication skills, the arguments are not fully extended with specific, concrete examples. The structure is clear, but the content often circles back to the same points (confidence and communication) without introducing new perspectives or nuanced analysis. To improve, ensure each paragraph introduces a distinct, well-supported point rather than restating the same benefits in different ways. The response is consistent with the requirements for a Band 5.5 or 6.0, as the ideas are relevant but lack sufficient elaboration.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'On the other factor' is an unnatural transition, and 'Nevertheless' is used incorrectly in the third paragraph. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences can be disjointed. While there is an overall logical progression, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive nature of the transitions limit the score. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally to connect ideas within and between paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of word-choice errors and non-standard collocations, such as 'build the confident' (should be 'build confidence') and 'substantion number of disease' (should be 'substantial number of diseases'). Spelling errors like 'anxouity' and 'habbit' are also present. While you attempt to use some academic vocabulary, the limited range and frequent inaccuracies mean the language is often basic. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise academic terms and focusing on correct word forms will significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures, and there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('it give a huge dilemma'), article usage, and incorrect verb forms ('is giving a good impact'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces missing before commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and article usage before moving on to more complex structures.

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

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