Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-04

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries these days, the number of people continuing their education after school has increased, and the range of courses available at universities and colleges has also increased.

Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

School and University plays vital role in development of student thinking ability, creativity and train them for co-operative world. Education has a major role in that and these days number of people are taking education after school with wide range of course available at universities and colleges also increased. As per my opinion it is consider as a positive development . The essay will briefly explain why it is positive development with the help of suitable facts and ideas.

In the first paragraph, I will point out some positive behind the increasing in range of courses. Firstly, due to increasing in choices of courses less competition in particular field in happening and job opportunity chances for new field are generating. Students are able to choose their desired course from a large range rather than just one or two which were present in the past. For example, new courses regarding sustainability increases such as environmental engineering which had just been introduced to some university and it is really unique and helpful courses guided student to control pollution and make things sustainable. So, all in all, it really helps student in their future life.

Furthermore, it will also give wide variety of job opportunity which reduced in unemployment. There are also many courses introduced which interest children into innovation something that can really be helpful in future and in research field. For instance, increase in artificial intelligence and machine learning study are really helpful for high salary jobs.

Conversely, there is some sort of negative side of it also. First of all, students often get confuse to choose their carrier and later regret it, also some courses are irrelevant and of no use in future and does not provide financial stability. However due to this many consult office are being made for students to give them right direction according to their interest.

All in all , student go to university or colleges for skill development not only for studies. Therefore, it is appreciate for introducing new courses for students which can be interesting and further helps them in future, as discuss above it is consider that there is more positive development than negative.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by identifying the trend as a positive development and providing reasons such as reduced competition and increased job opportunities. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of 'environmental engineering' is a good start, but the explanation of how it controls pollution is vague. The counter-argument regarding the negative side is present but lacks depth, as the suggestion of 'consult offices' is mentioned briefly without explaining how they effectively mitigate the risks. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples with more specific details and ensure that the link between the trend and the positive outcomes is more logically robust.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'In the first paragraph', 'Furthermore', 'Conversely'). There are also issues with referencing; for example, the phrase 'it is consider that there is more positive development' is awkward and lacks a clear antecedent. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the paragraphing could be more effectively used to separate the main arguments from the counter-argument more clearly. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'major role', 'good start', and 'really helpful'. There are also several word-choice errors, such as 'consult office' instead of 'career counseling services' and 'innovation something' instead of 'innovative fields'. While the meaning is clear, the lack of sophisticated collocations and the presence of repetitive vocabulary limit the score. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and employment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('School and University plays', 'it is consider'), missing articles ('in some university'), and incorrect verb forms ('as discuss above'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While you attempt complex sentences, they are often marred by these errors. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy—specifically subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tense usage—will significantly improve the clarity and professional tone of your writing.

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

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