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)

In today's hectic life youngstres first priority is their mental health. No wonder studnets choose to take a year out after finishing school and beginning of a new life at the university level. Youngsters believe that travelling gives more exposure to them rather then universities.

Travelling provides them mental well-being and prepare them for the future endevaours. Some of the benefits include meeting new people, understanding different mindset, providing opportunity to enhance their communication skills which gives them a better platform to showcase themselves in real world. But these things look good upto some extent only as in this competing education system bridging a gap of one year between studies might have some drwabacks. For example, students might loose their interest in studies and this is the sole reason of dropouts and not parents are highly tensed that what might be the future of their children.

In my opinion, schools are already providing 3 months of summer break or a gap once the school finishes and beginning of the university level study beyond that skipping a year might not be the best approach as education system has rigid rules for admission process and once you miss that deadline students have to wait for the next year for admission. For example, students suggest we want work exposure but if we do the reality check do companies provide jobs to students without experience or who have just completed their schooling.

To conclude this students should maintain their personal life with their academic life and that's what makes a student more disciplined and enthusiastic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a recognisable position: you acknowledge benefits such as meeting people and improving communication, but argue that taking a year out may disrupt education and create admission difficulties. These points are relevant to the question. However, the response only partly develops the comparison between non-academic experience and its benefits on returning to education. For instance, you mention “understanding different mindset” and “a better platform” but do not explain how these experiences specifically help students learn or perform at university. The concerns about losing interest and companies not offering jobs to school-leavers are also asserted rather than supported. Make your degree of agreement explicit in the introduction and develop fewer points with clear explanations or examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: it introduces the topic, discusses possible benefits, presents reservations, states your view and concludes. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and transitions such as “But,” “In my opinion” and “To conclude” guide the reader. However, progression within some paragraphs is less clear. The benefits paragraph moves from travel and communication skills to dropouts and parental anxiety without fully explaining the connection. The sentence beginning “For example, students suggest…” also shifts abruptly from work exposure to whether companies hire school-leavers. Some linking is mechanical, and references such as “these things” are broad. Organise each body paragraph around one main claim, then explain and illustrate it before moving to the next point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “mental well-being,” “communication skills,” “competing education system” and “admission process,” which allows you to discuss both personal and academic considerations. However, the range is not always controlled: phrases such as “travelling gives more exposure to them,” “bridging a gap” and “showcase themselves in real world” are awkward or imprecise in context. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “youngstres,” “studnets,” “endevaours,” “drwabacks” and “loose” where “lose” is intended. These errors reduce clarity and polish. Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe travel as broadening students’ perspectives and say that a year away may interrupt their studies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “But” and a conditional example beginning “if we do the reality check.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “Travelling provides them mental well-being and prepare them” has a subject–verb agreement problem and an incomplete verb pattern; “students might loose their interest in studies and this is the sole reason of dropouts” joins claims without clear grammatical control. The sentence beginning “In my opinion” is also overloaded, with unclear connections between the school break, university study and admission rules. Practise accurate agreement, articles and sentence boundaries, and divide long sentences into shorter, complete units.

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

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