Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-25
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)
Many young people choose yearout when school is finished and when they star unversity in order to travel or gain work experience. This non academic life offers benifits to individuals as they return to their education.
I strongly agree by this, that pupils sohuld gain some pratical knowledge and work experience.
To begin with, talking a year off can help people to gain vlaueable experience. The person is doing job somewhere at supermarket he could earn for satisfying his basic needs. When people are in school they only learn theoratical knowledge, by working somewhere at office or at supermarket, the one develop the quality of teamwork, responsibility, problem solivng abilities and he can develop his math skills also he can do calculation fast as it will help him in universities study hwich will help him grow in future a lot.
Not only job the person can do in that one year but also he can travel somewhere, he can do a lot of enjoyment and got to know about the prices of that places which will help him gain travelling experience, by then he can become a tour guide. For instance the people who come from abroad to india he can guide them the tour of india and can tell them best places in india to rome not only rome where they can spent less will get best quality food.
In conclusion, I strongly agree that taking a year off before university can benefit young people. Gaining work experience and travelling can develop their practical abilities, independence and confidence, which can help them perform better in their studies and future careers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
Your position is clear: you “strongly agree” that a year away can benefit young people, and you address both work experience and travel. The work paragraph gives relevant benefits, including teamwork, responsibility and problem-solving, while the travel example introduces a possible career as a tour guide. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The link between supermarket calculations and university performance is asserted rather than explained, and the travel example focuses more on guiding visitors than on how travel helps someone return to education. Develop each main point with a clearer explanation of its effect on study, such as greater independence, motivation or practical understanding. This would make the response address the task more fully and support its position more convincingly.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs on work and travel, and a conclusion that restates your view. This gives the reader a basic route through the argument. You also use signposting such as “To begin with,” “Not only…but also,” and “In conclusion.” However, progression within the body paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several ideas are joined into long sentences, particularly the explanation of work skills and university study. The travel paragraph also moves quickly from enjoyment to prices and then to becoming a tour guide. Use clearer topic sentences, divide connected points into shorter units, and explain how each example supports your central claim. More precise links between ideas would make the organisation less list-like.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “work experience,” “theoretical knowledge,” “teamwork,” “responsibility,” and “independence.” These terms help communicate the main ideas, and the conclusion uses several appropriate concepts. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are unclear, such as “gain travelling experience,” “do a lot of enjoyment,” and “rome” for visiting places. Spelling errors—including “unversity,” “benifits,” and “solivng”—are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause. Aim for more precise, natural phrases and check spelling carefully. Replacing repeated general wording with accurate expressions such as “broaden their perspective” or “develop practical skills” would make the argument clearer and more academic.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the conclusion communicates its meaning clearly. However, the longer structures are often difficult to control, as in “When people are in school they only learn theoretical knowledge, by working somewhere…” and the sentence that continues through several skills and university benefits. These contain run-on structures and unclear clause relationships. There are also recurring errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction, for example “he could earn for satisfying,” “the one develop,” and “he can guide them the tour.” These errors can make the reader work to understand your meaning. Practise building accurate short sentences first, then combine ideas using controlled clauses and appropriate punctuation.
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