Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-21

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many parts of the world girls and boys are educated together in co-educational or mixed schools. Some people think that girls and boys benefit from being educated separately in single-sex schools. To what extent do you agree with this view?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience. Write at least 250 words.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Education plays a crucial role in shaping the student's future with giving knowledge and required skills. Some people argue that Girls and Boys should be educated separately in single-sex schools, while others argue that mixed schools are beneficial. I strongly believe that Co-education is great concept where both boys and girls are given equal opportunities and education.

To start with benefits of co-educational schools, it is very important for boys and girls to compute with same level of competition and opportunities.

Moreover, with this level of schools, equality is maintained and it helps to work as teamwork as it is necessary. Besides this when single-sex schools are there, there is no teamwork as well as no competition between boys and girls. but in contrast it minimizes the classroom distractions and students can focus exclusively on their curricula.

On the other hand, I believe that co-educational institutions are vital because they mimic the demographic reality of the wider world also attending a mixed school teaches boys and girls how to communicate politely, respect diverse perspectives, and dismantle gender stereotypes from an early age.

Taking everything into the account, while single-sex schools can temporarily boost academic performance by reducing distractions, they fail to equip students with essential life skills. In my view , the social and emotional growth fostered in co-educational schools is far more valuable for a child's future than mere academic insulation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by presenting a clear position on co-education. However, the essay is 18 words under the 250-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the main arguments regarding social skills and demographic reality are relevant, they are somewhat brief and lack detailed supporting examples or personal experience as requested by the prompt. The discussion on single-sex schools is also quite limited, focusing primarily on the reduction of distractions without exploring other potential benefits in depth. To improve, you should expand your body paragraphs with more specific examples or logical extensions to meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to link your points. However, the connection between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the benefits of single-sex schools and the counter-argument is abrupt. Additionally, the use of 'but in contrast' at the start of a sentence is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'great concept' and 'work as teamwork' are somewhat simplistic or unnatural. You attempt to use some academic vocabulary, such as 'dismantle gender stereotypes' and 'academic insulation', which is positive. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'compute with same level of competition' (likely meaning 'compete') and 'with this level of schools'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that your word choices are contextually accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'with giving knowledge' should be 'by providing knowledge', and 'it is very important for boys and girls to compute' contains a word choice error. There are also punctuation issues, such as the space before the comma in 'In my view ,'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they demonstrate a lack of control over more complex structures. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences will help improve your score.

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

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