Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-07

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 5.0)

yes its true many people take a year gap after finishing the school there're are a lot of reasons why people do this if I say my life story when I was in school last year I thought of giving a competitive exam too so I took a gap for further studies so yeah many people have their own stories to make the future bright the take time to fresh , change their habits , routine, etc it can be anything , some people take a year gap to explore themselves by traveling to diff parts of the world by exploring new friends , new places , new habits , new life finding there motive in life I guess people do this to maintain their peace of mind to be in a good peace mind before going for anything big before aiming for big things it's very important that you've a peace of mind so some people don't have that so they take a year gap in between .

I will not say that a year gap is bad thing but if you take your time to actually focusing on yourself only then its good otherwise if you want to only chill around then its a time waste there are pros and cons of everything in this world.

some people take a year gap for work experience it can be anything an internship, job, skill upgrade if you're actually doing these things then only it's a good thing otherwise don't waste your time by taking a gap

the people who use their time in these things by not wasting their time they grow in that non-academic era they can see the change they grow mentally and physically both this year gap outshines them in best possible way.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the benefits of a gap year, but the development is limited and lacks the formal structure required for an academic essay. While you express a clear opinion that a gap year is beneficial if used productively, the ideas are repetitive and lack specific, well-supported examples. The essay relies on personal anecdotes and informal language (e.g., 'chill around') rather than a balanced, analytical discussion. To improve, you should structure your response with a clear introduction, distinct body paragraphs with topic sentences, and a formal conclusion that synthesises your main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear organizational structure. There is no introduction or conclusion, and the paragraphs are poorly defined, making the progression of ideas difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are largely absent; the text relies on run-on sentences and informal transitions like 'so yeah' or 'it can be anything'. To reach a higher band, you must use linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'however') to connect sentences and ideas logically. Additionally, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single main idea to improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive, relying on informal phrases such as 'chill around' and 'big things'. There is little attempt to use academic or topic-specific vocabulary related to education or personal development. Spelling errors, such as 'diff' for 'different', and the misuse of punctuation further detract from the quality of the writing. To improve, focus on learning collocations related to academic and professional contexts and avoid using conversational abbreviations or slang in your formal writing tasks.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammar is characterized by frequent errors in sentence structure, including run-on sentences and comma splices. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and basic punctuation is often ignored, such as the lack of capital letters at the start of sentences and the misuse of apostrophes (e.g., 'there're are'). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are also problematic. To improve, focus on mastering simple sentence construction before attempting complex structures, and pay close attention to basic punctuation rules to ensure your writing is clear and professional.

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.