Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-12

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)

It has been observed that in many countries the number of individuals has increased who continue their education after school and resultantly the variety of courses have also increased in college and universities. I presume that the benefits of these precautionary action would overweigh its drawbacks to a major extent. My position is elaborated further with reasons and relevant examples.

Examining the brighter side of, the foremost one is that it will help to the country in increasing their gross domestic product. As when more of the people start education after schools it will benefit to the economy of the country. For instance, the people pay huge amount for their fees in the colleges or universities which indirectly benefits the country. Moreover, more career opportunities and better job prospects will increased. When people start to study in their own country , there will need arise for the teachers and professors which help in the employment of the country.

Furthermore, the mentioned benefit, students can develop specialised skills and knowledge, from which they can better their future, For example, the can get a good job in their own country as well as in the other countries.

On the contrary, I would not overlook the advantages. To begin with ,higher education can be expensive and may create financial pressure on the students and on their parents. As everyone can not afford the high education fees. For instance, the universities and colleges very high fees for the range of courses which have negative effects.

To conclude, there are both merits and demerits of the development. However, I inclined to believe that skilled labour will be more benefit then drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the positive and negative aspects of increased higher education. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding GDP is vague and lacks a clear logical link between student fees and national economic growth. The discussion of 'precautionary action' is also confusing, as this term does not accurately describe the expansion of university courses. While a position is stated, the supporting arguments lack depth and specific, well-explained examples. To reach a higher band, you should focus on providing more detailed explanations for your claims rather than listing general points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Examining the brighter side of' and 'Furthermore, the mentioned benefit'. Additionally, some transitions between sentences are abrupt, making the flow feel slightly disjointed. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking words and phrases would significantly enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'precautionary action' and 'I would not overlook the advantages' (when the context suggests you are discussing disadvantages). Some word choices are repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'country' and 'people'. To improve, you should focus on using more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and to express your ideas with greater clarity and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'it will help to the country', 'there will need arise', and 'I inclined to believe'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'the variety of courses have also increased' (should be 'has'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. Increasing your control over basic grammar and refining your use of complex structures will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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