Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-29

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 has been observed that currently, in several countries, the number of people pursuing their higher studies after school has increased significantly and the variety of courses available at universities and colleges has also increased. I presume it as a positive development. I will discuss its positive impacts that will further explain my opinion.

By examining the brighter side, that nowdays there are more number of students continuing their studies after school in several countries. The availability of different courses at universities and schools has made student's life more convenient. The literacy rate will increase in each country. For instance, if a student was not performing well in sciences then instead of quiting studies he can enroll in other courses such as social sciences and arts. Moreover, another positive impact is that rate of unemployed people would decrease. Although, they can not choose high carrers but still they will have enough education to get job to meet daily necessities. For example, each student in the worldwide can not be a doctor or engineer but he can still have some IT course. He can work as receptionist or data handling postion.

I also think, besides its advantages their are many demerits as well. Due to the opportrunity of different courses at universities and colleges students get sidetracked.For example, students who were doing well in science subjects but they drop these courses might be due to influence of other students or for their own convenience.

To conclude, from my opinion the increased ratio of the number of students getting education after schools is very positive step. It will help them to stay focused on their carreer.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you consider the growth in further education and course choice positive, and you give relevant reasons, including improved literacy and employment prospects. The examples about switching from science to arts and taking an IT course help illustrate these points. You also acknowledge a possible drawback, which shows awareness of both sides. However, the response addresses the question only partially because the benefits are asserted more than explained: for instance, it does not show how wider course choice would reduce unemployment, and the concern about students being sidetracked is brief and not reconciled with your overall view. Develop each main reason with a clearer explanation and a specific, realistic example, then explain why the benefits outweigh the drawback. (The response meets the stated length requirement.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on benefits, a paragraph on drawbacks, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “For instance,” “Moreover,” and “To conclude” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and some connections are unclear or mechanical. The benefits paragraph moves from course choice to literacy and then unemployment without fully showing how these ideas relate. The sentence beginning “By examining the brighter side” is also an incomplete opening, which interrupts the flow. Improve cohesion by organising each paragraph around one main point, using clear topic sentences, and explaining the link between each example and the claim it supports. Avoid relying on formulaic transitions alone.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to education and work, including “pursuing their higher studies,” “availability of different courses,” “unemployed,” and “daily necessities.” These choices make the general topic clear, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors make the writing less natural, such as “higher studies,” “more number of students,” “high carrers,” and “data handling postion.” Repeated use of “positive impact,” “students,” and “courses” also limits flexibility. Aim for more precise, natural combinations and check spelling carefully. For example, use “pursuing higher education,” “a greater number of students,” and “career prospects” to express your ideas more accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional example (“if a student was not performing well in sciences then…”) and a concession beginning “Although.” However, the range is limited, and complex constructions are often faulty or incomplete. “By examining the brighter side, that nowdays there are…” lacks a complete grammatical structure, while “Although, they can not choose high carrers but still…” combines clauses incorrectly. There are also recurring errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction, as in “their are many demerits” and “each student in the worldwide.” These errors sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Practise building complete sentences with one clear main clause, then add subordinate clauses accurately; review subject–verb agreement and punctuation around dependent clauses.

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