Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-10
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)
Recently, the importance of technology is increasing day-by-day. Therefore, more courses are available at universities and colleges in many countries. Moreover, government and parents want to learn their children for living independent life. I think this is a positive development.
On the one hand, people want to gain more knowledge about different subjects, skills and activities for become confident person. In addition, the number of people continuing their education after school has increased because of new technology, skills, trends, and modern lifestyle. For example, if people continuing increase their education, they become knowledgeable person, they can gain more respect from society, and they can earn more money for their better future.
On the other hand, there are many features responsible for increasing the range of courses because of universities and colleges can provide various skills, improve their ability. Additionally, today government can becoming new rules and regulations for various subjects such as AI ,history, and computer related courses. For instance, nowadays government makes compulsory AI subject such as digital marketing, social media, and software development because students can able to use smartphones, computers and become technological person.
In conclusion, students, universities and colleges want to gain different kinds of knowledge because they can not feel bored and they can improve their technical skills. In my opinion, this is a positive development. While, some people argue that, but the ratio of foreign students are increasing for gain more positive ideas. Additionally, universities and colleges should handle this development as it is. And, they should include more technical, history, and scientific related courses.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the increase in education is a positive development. However, the development of ideas is limited and often repetitive. While you mention benefits like gaining knowledge and earning more money, the arguments lack depth and specific examples. The connection between technology and the increase in university courses is mentioned but not fully explored. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed argument supported by a clear, logical example rather than listing general statements. The conclusion introduces new, slightly confusing points about foreign students that were not previously discussed, which weakens the overall coherence of your argument.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression of ideas is often hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical use of cohesive devices. For instance, the transition 'While, some people argue that, but...' in the conclusion is grammatically incomplete and confusing. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the second paragraph where 'they' is used repeatedly without a clear antecedent. To improve, focus on using transition words more naturally and ensure that each sentence flows logically from the previous one. Improving the structure of your topic sentences will also help the reader follow your argument more easily.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is significant repetition of words like 'knowledge', 'courses', and 'universities'. Some word choices are unnatural, such as 'learn their children' (should be 'educate their children') and 'technological person' (should be 'tech-savvy individual'). There are also issues with collocation, such as 'becoming new rules' instead of 'implementing new rules'. To improve, try to use a wider variety of synonyms and focus on learning common collocations rather than translating directly from your native language.
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 clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('the ratio of foreign students are increasing'), incorrect verb forms ('for become confident person'), and missing articles. The sentence 'today government can becoming new rules' is grammatically incorrect. While the meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and articles, before attempting more complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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