Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-23

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 6.0)

many young individuals choose to take a gap year after finish school and before starting the university life. during this period, they may gain work experience or travel. i largely agree that taking a gap year can provide several important benefits when students return to education.

one major benefit is that young people can gain valuable work experience. school students often have limited knowledge of working environment, so spending a year in a job can teach them useful skills such as communication, teamwork and time management. for example, a student who works in a shop may learn how to communicate confiddently with customers and manage responsibilities. these skill can be useful when thhey eventually enter university and later start their careers.

another advantage is that travelling can make young people more independent and mature. when they visit different places, they have opportunities to experience new culture and meet people from different backgrounds. they may also learn to manage money, solve problems and make decisions without depending on their parents. furthermore, a gap year can give students time to think carefully about their future and choose a university subject that genuinely interests them.

however, a gap year may not always be beneficial. some students might become too comfortable with their free time and stuggle to return to academic life. therefore, it is important to use this year productively by working, travellling, volunteering or learning new skills.

to sum up, i believe that taking a gap year before university can be highly beneficial if it is properly planned. work experience and travel can help young generation to become more mature, independent and prepared for both university annd their future careers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the benefits of a gap year, such as gaining work experience and developing independence through travel, and acknowledging potential drawbacks. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay, starting from the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion. Ideas are well-extended and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as a shop worker gaining communication skills. While the arguments are well-developed and cover the prompt comprehensively, fitting the criteria well, it aligns best with a Band 7 due to a slight tendency to over-generalise in parts, although all main aspects of the task are thoroughly explored and clearly presented.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introduction to the benefits of work, the benefits of travel, counterarguments, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as "one major benefit", "another advantage", "however", and "to sum up". Paragraphing is utilised appropriately to separate ideas. However, referencing is occasionally repetitive, and some transitional links are slightly mechanical, which prevents the score from reaching a Band 8. Overall, the structural progression is clear, ensuring the reader can follow the arguments effortlessly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as "genuinely interests them", "productively", and "independent and mature". There are, however, some spelling and word-choice errors that occur throughout the text, including "confiddently", "thhey", "travellling", and "annd". Despite these mechanical and lexical inaccuracies, the errors do not impede communication, and the vocabulary is sufficiently flexible to convey the intended meaning effectively. To secure a higher band, greater accuracy in spelling and collocation is necessary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional ideas, such as in "a student who works in a shop may learn..." and "if it is properly planned." There are several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the essay, notably the complete lack of capitalisation at the beginning of sentences and for the pronoun "i", along with minor spelling and tense inconsistencies like "finish school" instead of "finishing school". Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication, and there are frequent error-free clauses, placing this response solidly within the Band 6 descriptor.

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

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