Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-20

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)

Alot of people choose to take a year out between completing high school and starting university in order to collect experience or to travel. The experience of those citizens whom are non-academic life in a whole year and after when they return to education is this benefit for them. I will elaborate this in below.

Many young people choose to take a gap year when they finish their high school.Some young student take a year out because they want to learn some skills,and some students take for their financial problems and some need some time to decide what actually they wana do, or what they want to study . Moreover, some are just take for enjoyment and to travel different places gaining some sort of memories and personal growth.In addition, every student have their own thinking and what they wana do.I'm agree with taking a gap year at some point because gap year is positive for students.

However, the experience of gap year is worse,if they were free in that gap and they did nothing except enjoying.When they get back to the education they might face some problems in learning .Some people argue that takeing a year off may cause students lose focus on their studies. While this is possible,i believe that with proper planning and motivation,most students return to education more mature and determined than before. In fact that the break refreshes their mind and improves their academic performance.

In conclusion, taking a gap year provides valuable work experience and personal growth but if you spend your year doing positive things. I believe it is a positive choice that benefits students when they continue their education.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the benefits and potential drawbacks of a gap year. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention reasons for taking a gap year, such as financial issues or personal growth, these points are listed rather than fully extended with specific examples or logical depth. The position is clear, but the argument lacks the nuance required for a higher band. To improve, ensure that each supporting point is followed by a concrete example or a clear explanation of how it directly impacts the student's return to education.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'some' and 'moreover'. There are also issues with referencing; for example, in the first paragraph, the sentence 'The experience of those citizens whom are non-academic life...' is confusing and lacks clear logical flow. Transitions between ideas are sometimes abrupt, and the connection between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother to ensure a more logical progression of thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'take a year out' and 'do positive things'. There are also instances of awkward word choice, such as 'collect experience' instead of 'gain experience', and the informal 'wana' which is inappropriate for an academic essay. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations that would elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'Alot' (spelling), 'whom are non-academic life' (incorrect relative pronoun and structure), 'every student have' (subject-verb agreement), and 'I'm agree' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors suggests a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the mid-range.

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

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