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)

In many countries these days, people pursuing higher education has risen. Also, the variety of courses at universities and colleges have increased. In my opinion, this can both be a positive thing and a negative thing, varying from one person to another person's point of view.

Firstly, the number of people continuing their education after school can be due to various reasons. For example, population has been increasing in recent years therefore, more people having the opportunity to study at college and universities thus, resulting in more students pursuing higher studies. I partially agree with its positive and negative aspects. For example, If some people are studying only to fulfill educational formality or just following their fellows, the consequences can be negative, if they do not have any future plans. Thus, resulting in wastage of their precious time. If one is pursuing higher studies with some goal or they had the passion from their chilhood to become a doctor or an engineer, and to serve humanity, then the results will be positive.

Secondly, variety of courses available at universities and college has been also increasing. In my opinion, it can either be a positive or a negative development. For example, If I am planning to select my one particular course from different courses, one positive thing in this context can be that I have many options available. But on the other hand, choosing one particular subject from a large number of subjects can be tricky and if not chosen wisely, will directly impact your career negatively. Therefore, I don't completely agree with its positive or negative impacts.

Overall, in my opinion, people should pursue higher education if they have some purpose. If they are not good at studies, they should learn skill instead of, only relying on studies. Governments should also make people aware of new courses and their future career paths through education and compaigns.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the trends of increased higher education and course variety, and presents a position, though it sits at a partial level of development. The writer expresses a view that the developments can be both positive and negative, but the ideas remain somewhat limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion around students studying just to fulfill an educational formality is introduced, but it lacks sufficient extension and robust examples. Similarly, the points regarding the wide range of courses are somewhat repetitive, often relying on generalized statements rather than thoroughly explored arguments. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to present fully extended ideas with deeper analysis and clearer support throughout all body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organization present, with clear paragraph breaks separating the introduction, two body points, and a conclusion. However, the response lacks a clear overall progression from start to finish. Cohesive devices are often used in a mechanical or repetitive manner, such as starting multiple sentences with 'For example,' or 'Firstly' and 'Secondly,' without demonstrating a smooth flow of ideas. Additionally, referencing can be unclear, particularly with pronoun usage like 'its positive and negative aspects' which creates slight ambiguity about what 'its' refers to. To achieve a higher band, the writer must ensure a more natural, varied use of cohesive devices and establish a clearer logical progression between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message. The student attempts some less common phrases like 'fulfill educational formality' and 'serve humanity,' but noticeable errors in word choice and collocation appear, such as writing 'learn skill instead of, only relying on studies' and 'compaint' instead of campaigns. There are also instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'following their fellows.' While communication is generally maintained despite these flaws, the range remains restricted. To improve, the writer should focus on expanding their lexical repertoire, ensuring precise word choices, and mastering collocations appropriate for academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in subject-verb agreement, such as 'people pursuing higher education has risen' instead of 'have risen,' and 'the variety of courses... have increased' instead of 'has increased.' Punctuation and grammatical patterns also show frequent inaccuracies, including intrusive commas before dependent clauses ('For example, If some people...') and missing articles. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer needs to improve basic grammatical control, particularly subject-verb agreement, and develop greater accuracy when constructing complex sentences.

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