Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-18

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)

most young generation choose to take a year break between finishing secondary education and starting higher education due to gain practical work exprience or to travel while, the exprience of non-academic life this offers advantages the people when they return to qualification. I completely agree with this view, beacuse with theortical knowledge practical knowledge is more mandatory as in every job sector they require practical skills.

Most schools in Pakistan education is mostly theory base. Students only read books and give exams but they don't learn practical skills as they are more important for them to get a job. For example, a recent survey in pakistan shows that more than 80% of study in pakistan is conceptual or theoritical base and when studends went for a job sector a companies required a practical exprience of 1 to 2 years.

Furthermore, in UK students get internships during there studies. It also help them to improve there CV and they can add practical skills they have done during their work. For instance, a recent study in Oxford university shows over a 90% of their study courses have internship opportunities for students so they could have a practical knowledge about what they are studying in books. To conclude, during summer internships students can develop practical knowledge.

In conclusion, students should take an extra year to learn practical skills as it is important to get a job in future. In Pakistan education is mostly theory base as compared to Uk they more focus on practical learning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you state, “I completely agree,” and return to the value of practical skills in the conclusion. The examples about theory-focused education in Pakistan and internships in the UK are relevant to education and employment. However, the response only partly addresses the specific claim that a year away from formal study benefits young people when they return to education. Much of the discussion focuses on gaining skills for future jobs, and the UK internship example concerns opportunities during study rather than a year out. The benefits of travel and how non-academic experience supports later learning are not explored. Develop these links explicitly and explain each example rather than relying mainly on broad claims.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. “Furthermore” signals an additional point, while “For example” and “For instance” introduce supporting details. However, progression is limited because the paragraphs do not consistently build an argument about taking a year out: the second body paragraph shifts to internships during study, and the conclusion repeats the focus on practical skills and employment. Some connections are unclear, particularly the opening sentence, where several ideas are joined together without a clear relationship. Organise each body paragraph around one benefit of a gap year, then explain how it helps students on returning to education. Use referencing and linking phrases to make those relationships clear rather than relying on repeated transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “practical skills,” “internships,” “CV,” and “higher education,” so the reader can identify the subject of your argument. However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, especially “practical” and “study.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice problems, such as “exprience,” “theortical,” “theory base,” and “job sector,” which sometimes make the meaning less clear or sound unnatural. Aim to learn accurate forms and common collocations, such as “theoretical education,” “gain work experience,” and “employment sector.” More precise vocabulary for the benefits of travel and independent living would also help you address the full topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use subordinate clauses, for example, “when they return to qualification” and “so they could have a practical knowledge.” However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors in agreement, articles, verb forms and sentence structure occur frequently enough to make parts difficult to follow. Examples include “Most schools in Pakistan education is mostly theory base,” “It also help them,” and “a companies required.” The opening sentence also joins clauses in a way that obscures the intended meaning. Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses using “because,” “although” and “when.” Check subject–verb agreement, articles and plural forms during editing.

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