Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-06

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 an undeniable fact that the education after school is growing nowadays. Although, some people might considered it negative but I believe it be extremely beneficial not only because of advancement and more career opportunities but also because of international exposure. This essay will explore how these mega advantages have the potential to overshadow any drawbacks.

There are multiple benefits of this development. To begin with, one of the predominant reason that compelled me to agree this notion is advancement. In today era evolving is very necessary. We need advancement in everything like in medical fields, IT fields any field and even in life we need advance things, and this is only possible with the help of education. if we study in related fields of study than it is easy for us to research . This factor can be better elaborated upon through an example. I read an article in The New York Newspaper it is clearly mentioned that more than 50 percents of worlds universties are trying to give better education courses to students so they develop their mind to comply with world. Thus, this merit have the potential to make this development a positive one.

Furthermore, a major pros linked with this advancement is career opportunities. The teenagers are the best people to change the country. This is possible when the work hard in studies and get better career opportunities in their home country. As universities are providing better range of courses so it will open the gate of better career. For instance, this century is belong to AI development, many universities are inculded a subject of AI in their courses. So, the students can get better opportunities in future. Hence, this benefit can clearly overshadow any disadvantage.

A final merit to consider is international exposure. Study opens the gates of international exposures. Every country and university wants to grows their international linkes and student. In today world people almost linked with each other and people trying to make international friends and to explore world. This become possible with the help of education. Ultimately, this pros also proves my stance.

In conclusion, I believe that this evolution is an overall positive development not only in terms of advancement and more career opportunities but also because of international exposure.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by expressing a clear position that the increase in post-school education is a positive development. However, the ideas are partially developed and lack depth, which places the response at this level. While the writer attempts to provide supporting points such as technological advancement, career opportunities, and international exposure, some of these ideas remain under-developed or repetitive. For example, the argument regarding advancement relies on very broad generalisations rather than specific, well-reasoned explanations. Furthermore, the supporting example from 'The New York Newspaper' is vague and lacks sufficient detail to fully substantiate the claim. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to extend and support their ideas with more thorough explanations and concrete, specific examples rather than relying on generalised assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and the response is divided into logical paragraphs. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty. The writer uses basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'A final merit to consider', but referencing and transitions between sentences can feel repetitive and heavy-handed. For instance, the transition in the fourth paragraph ('Study opens the gates of international exposures') feels abrupt, and the progression of ideas within paragraphs occasionally stumbles due to abrupt shifts in focus. To improve, the writer should aim for a smoother, more natural flow of ideas by varying cohesive devices and ensuring that referencing within and across sentences is precise and unobtrusive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the main arguments. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'advancement', 'inculded', and 'international exposure', but these attempts are accompanied by noticeable errors in word form, collocation, and spelling, such as 'universties', 'percents', and 'inculded'. Word choice is frequently basic or imprecise, as seen in phrases like 'this century is belong to AI development'. These lexical limitations and errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher level, the writer needs to expand their lexical range, demonstrate better control of word formation and spelling, and use collocation more accurately to express ideas with greater precision and style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences alongside frequent attempts at complex structures that contain errors. There are numerous grammatical inaccuracies throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement, article use, and prepositional patterns, such as 'education after school is growing', 'some people might considered', and 'agree this notion'. These frequent errors can cause difficulty for the reader, though the overall meaning generally remains recoverable. To progress to the next level, the writer must improve their control over complex sentence forms, reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips, and pay closer attention to verb tenses, auxiliary verbs, and article usage to ensure clearer and more accurate sentence construction.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.