Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-29
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)
The debate over whether children should learn together in mixed institutions or separately in single-sex schools remains prominent. While single-sex education may reduce social distractions during adolescence, I completely agree with the view that co-educational schools provide a more balanced and effective environment for long-term growth.
TO begin with Proponents of single-sex schools argue that separating boys and girls eliminates distractions related to peer pressure, body image, and romantic interests. Some studies also suggest that girls in single-sex settings feel more confident pursuing male-dominated subjects like physics or mathematics without facing traditional societal stereotypes. However, this focused environment can create an artificial bubble that fails to mirror society. Education should prepare individuals for real-world interactions where men and women constantly collaborate.
on ther other hand Mixed schools naturally foster essential social skills. Interacting daily with the opposite gender helps students overcome shyness, reduce awkwardness, and build mutual respect from an early age. Furthermore, co-education dismantles gender stereotypes and promotes equality by ensuring equal participation in academic and extracurricular spaces. When boys and girls study side by side, they learn to appreciate diverse perspectives, which translates directly into healthier professional and personal relationships in later life.
ConclusionIn conclusion, while single-sex schooling might offer minor academic or focus-related advantages, the comprehensive social and psychological benefits of co-education are far more valuable. Mixed schools better equip students for the realities of modern society.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both sides of the issue and stating a clear personal position in the introduction. However, there is a significant penalty applied because the text contains only 230 words, falling short of the mandatory 250-word minimum requirement. While the main ideas are relevant and supported with some valid reasoning regarding social skills versus academic focus, the under-length nature of the essay prevents full development of the arguments, keeping it aligned with Band 5.0. To improve, ensure you fully expand on your supporting examples and strictly monitor your word count to meet the 250-word threshold.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a generally coherent overall structure with clear paragraphing, separating the introduction, the counter-argument, your main supporting argument, and the conclusion. However, there are notable mechanical issues: the phrase 'TO begin with' contains a capitalization error, and 'on ther other hand' contains typos and incorrect lowercasing. Furthermore, the final paragraph is merged with the conclusion heading ('ConclusionIn conclusion...'). Cohesive devices are used, but their mechanical execution and referencing flaws pull the score down to Band 6.0. Ensuring careful proofreading of transitions and paragraph headings will greatly enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'adolescence', 'proponents', 'artificial bubble', and 'gender stereotypes'. There are, however, some lexical and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'ther' instead of 'their' in the transitional phrase. Less common vocabulary is attempted with reasonable success, but word choice lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands. To reach a higher score, incorporate more sophisticated collocations and precise academic synonyms while eliminating careless spelling errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay utilizes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures (e.g., 'When boys and girls study side by side, they learn to appreciate diverse perspectives'). There are some grammatical errors and mechanical issues, notably lowercase letters at the start of sentences like 'on ther other hand' and formatting glitches in headings. Nevertheless, the majority of sentences are reasonably clear, and grammar does not impede overall communication. This places the performance solidly at Band 6.0 for grammatical range and accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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