Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-04

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)

Education and study leads to a developed society in several ways as education contributes in development for various communities. 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.

The possible reasons for this is increased competition, rised standards, fewer seats and increased population but less job opportunities.

The possible advantages can be higher literacy rates, declined discrimination, more experience, better knowledge, rise in academic performance, increased standards and etc. These benefits automatically contribute to better outcomes and improved decisions for society. Education also encourages others to achieve better performance and also leads to increased range of courses at college or university level. It will also lead to increase in variety of courses for higher education and admissions will be increased. All this brings positive and better development for all.

For exampls, a higher educated scientist will invent better device and inventions than a normal scientist.

For the invention of a rocket, a higher qualified scientist has higher chance to create better version of invention than that of a general scientist as the scientist with higher qualifications will have more experience and better knowledge. This does not proof that less educated scientist is not enough to make better decisions but the chances of scientist with more qualifications has increased possibilities overall.

In conclusion, I consider that the number of people continuing their education after school has increased, and the range of courses available at universities and colleges has increased which leads to positive development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by identifying the trend as a positive development. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments provided, such as 'declined discrimination' or 'better outcomes', are stated as lists rather than being fully explored or supported with logical reasoning. The example regarding the scientist is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth, failing to clearly link the increase in university courses to the specific quality of scientific output. To improve, you should focus on one or two main arguments and expand upon them with clear, logical steps and specific, real-world examples rather than listing multiple points briefly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. While there is an attempt to use cohesive devices, they are often repetitive or used in a simplistic manner, such as starting multiple sentences with 'The possible...'. The transition between the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion is functional but lacks sophisticated linking. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where the connection between 'increased population' and 'less job opportunities' is not fully integrated into the main argument about education. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'better', 'increased', and 'good'. Some phrasing is awkward or unnatural, such as 'rised standards' (should be 'rising standards') and 'does not proof' (should be 'does not prove'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more sophisticated or academic vocabulary limits the score. To improve, focus on using more precise synonyms and learning common collocations related to education and societal development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'Education and study leads' (subject-verb agreement error), 'rised standards' (incorrect verb form), and 'does not proof' (incorrect word form). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate more control over complex structures and ensure that basic grammatical rules, such as subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency, are applied accurately throughout the text.

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

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