Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-14

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)

Young people who opt taking this route and going for a gap year i nbetween school and university have a solid point of view, sometimes they don't feel ready enough sometimes the load of emotional, psychological and also educational loads throughout the years might result in an unbarable clumnation overall, and they do feel the urge and necessity to take such option to travel in the goal of feeling refreshed and turn on a new page, also to gain some work experience and raise some good amount of money to support themselves and feel financially independant. That is explainable to an extent, but we must also not turn a blind eye to the weight of a whole gap year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response recognises relevant reasons for taking a gap year, including feeling unready, recovering from pressure, travelling, and gaining work experience or money. However, it does not clearly answer “to what extent” you agree or disagree: the final sentence only warns about “the weight of a whole gap year,” without explaining what its disadvantages are or stating a firm position. The benefits to later education are also not explained, and there are no examples or developed supporting points. The response is substantially below the required 250 words, so it cannot adequately address the task. To improve, state your view directly, explain how non-academic experience could help a student on returning to university, and support this with specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic line of thought: you introduce why young people might take a gap year, then signal that it may also have drawbacks. The linking phrase “but we must also not turn a blind eye” helps indicate a shift. However, the response is presented as one long sentence followed by a brief conclusion, so the ideas do not develop in a clear paragraph structure or logical sequence. Several reasons are crowded together, and the reader is left unsure how they connect to the effect on later education. Organise the essay into an introduction, separate body paragraphs for benefits and drawbacks, and a conclusion. Use clear links between each claim and its explanation rather than relying on one extended sentence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “gap year,” “work experience,” “financially independent,” and “emotional” and “psychological” pressure. These choices show some ability to discuss the subject beyond very basic terms. However, several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “solid point of view,” “in the goal of feeling refreshed,” and “turn on a new page.” Spelling errors in “unbarable,” “clumnation,” and “independant” also reduce accuracy and can make the message harder to follow. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe students as needing “time to recharge” and say that they “turn over a new leaf” or “make a fresh start,” depending on your intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine several ideas using clauses and conjunctions, as in “sometimes they don't feel ready enough” and “the load … might result in…”. This shows an effort to use more than short, simple sentences. However, the main sentence is excessively long and joined largely by commas, making the relationships between clauses unclear. The opening construction “who opt taking this route” is not grammatically formed, and “sometimes … sometimes” needs clearer punctuation or sentence separation. The phrase “the load of … loads” also creates an unclear grammatical structure. Use shorter, controlled sentences, check verb patterns after verbs such as “opt,” and punctuate each complete idea. This will make your meaning easier to understand while allowing you to show a wider range of accurate structures.

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