Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-24

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)

I do agree on some parts that youngsters are trying to work life experience. But education is a must too to boost their minds and career that can help them later in their life even if they don't think about it now.

I've one reason, a friend of mine, she once told me that she used to do part time job and studies on the side altogether. But she said about her experience, that it was kind of a burden to her to do part time job for experience and also doing studies, it made her life difficulty.

So I would say, experience in working life is a must but education is also important just like work experience or for travelling out solo. So I would say, taking a break from education is good to get work life experience and then focus on education and studies entirely. After full education, they can find jobs easily with good experience of before and better knowledge about how everything works in a working life. Education boost their mind and their career in future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a recognisable, though qualified, position: you support taking a break for work experience while also stressing the importance of education. The example of your friend balancing a part-time job and study is relevant, and you explain that this felt burdensome. However, the response only partially addresses the prompt: it does not explain in much detail how a year out benefits young people when they return to education, and travel is mentioned only briefly. The ideas about later employment and improved knowledge are asserted rather than supported. The response is also 70 words below the required minimum, which leaves too little space to develop your reasons and examples. Expand the explanation of the benefits and address both work and travel more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: you begin with your view, give a personal example, and end with a recommendation. Basic linking phrases such as “But,” “So,” and “After” help show relationships between ideas. However, the response has no clear paragraphing, and the progression is limited: the friend’s experience of combining work and study does not clearly support the later claim that taking a break before university is beneficial. Several points are repeated, especially that both work experience and education are important. Use separate paragraphs for your position, supporting reasons and conclusion, and make each paragraph develop one main point. Clearer links between the example and your argument would also improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main topic, with relevant expressions such as “part time job,” “work life experience,” “taking a break from education,” and “focus on education.” However, the range is limited and some phrases are repeated, particularly “experience” and “education.” A few word choices or combinations sound unnatural, such as “boost their minds,” “education boost their mind,” and “doing studies on the side altogether.” These choices make parts of the argument less clear or precise. Aim to use more accurate academic collocations and vary repeated terms—for example, describe how a gap year can develop practical skills or broaden a student’s perspective. Check word forms and phrasing when revising.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use mostly straightforward sentence patterns and attempt some longer structures, including “I would say, taking a break from education is good to get work life experience and then focus on education.” Meaning is generally understandable, but errors occur frequently and sometimes make sentences awkward. For example, “I do agree on some parts” has an incorrect preposition pattern, while “it made her life difficulty” has an incorrect form after “made.” The opening also shifts between ideas without a clear grammatical connection, and “Education boost their mind” has a subject–verb agreement error. Practise accurate sentence patterns, agreement, and verb forms, then proofread each sentence. Building longer sentences gradually will help you show more range without losing control.

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

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