Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-03

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 is argued in many countries these days, the number of people proceed their education after school has enhanced, and the scope of courses available at universities and colleges has also increased. I believe this is a positive development because it can provide variety of opportunities for those people in future.

On the one hand, increasing the range of course in universities or colleges have provide variety of opportunities. They can access a wide range of course in a single university. They can also improve their skills such as software developing, web developing and many more skills due to the availability of number of courses. For instance, universities like Stanford and Oxford has implemented a wide range of courses such as Artificial Intelligence, Mechanical engineering and variety of courses.

On the other hand, implementing a wide range of courses allows students to choose in order to their interested fiels. It can reduces their menal health and well-being. Additionally, it allows students to grab some bigger opportunities such as better income, quality of life , and helps them to improve their skill in future. Furthermore, it also allows many students to access a wide range of knowledge that will help them to communicate with new people and deal with problem. For instance, in many countres like USA or Canada, people had invented variety of technology that we use by engaging with variety of courses.

In conclusion, in many countries, the number of people continuing their education after school has increased and the range of coursed availble has also increaed and its a positive development. I think, governments should secure these types of development and invest more money to implement new courses and universities in any country.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the increase in education and course variety is a positive development. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. While you mention benefits like skill acquisition and career prospects, the arguments are not fully extended. For instance, the claim that a wide range of courses 'reduces their mental health' is unclear and lacks logical support. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a distinct, well-explained point rather than listing similar benefits. The conclusion effectively restates your position and provides a recommendation, which is good practice.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise (e.g., 'these types of development'). The transition between sentences could be smoother to avoid a list-like feel. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is more explicit and natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'proceed their education' (instead of 'pursue') and 'interested fiels' (spelling error). You rely on repetitive phrases like 'wide range of courses' and 'variety of opportunities'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations, and pay closer attention to spelling and word forms to ensure your writing sounds more natural and professional.

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 impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('universities... has implemented', 'it can reduces') and missing articles or incorrect prepositions. While the meaning is generally understandable, these errors are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and proofreading for common slips in tense and word endings. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring they are error-free 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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