Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-04
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Many individuals suggested that medical staff, such as doctors and engineers, play a beneficial role for their nation by providing the best health facilities. However, others think that they should join a foreign country according to their desires and goals. In my opinion, engineers and doctors are crucial for country progress, economic growth, and innovative technology advancement. While foreign countries provide help with their personal growth, exposure, learning, and better future opportunities.
On one hand, demonstrate that medical and engineering professionals should devote their skills to their homeland because a country can flourish only if it has competent employees. Hiring professionals at high salaries can lead to financially burdening a nation. So far economic growth can be possible to produce skillful and hardworking people. In addition, many engineers work for world-prestigious institutions and play a role in technological development.
On the other hand, people argue that joining a foreign country offers high-paid salaries and a lot of other facilities. Personal growth and future growth are only possible in highly developed countries. Secondly, economically rich countries are putting effort into new advancements and trying to change old methods of working. They have highly equipped laboratory facilities, perform tests immediately, and give accurate results, which are helpful for doctors for medical diagnosis.
In my opinion, working for the homeland can be helpful for country progress and development, but if a person has a desire for international exposure, they must go, because it could be valuable for their families' learning and future perspective. So a balanced approach works best.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the 'financial burden' of hiring professionals is not fully explained or linked clearly to the requirement to work in the homeland. The ideas are relevant but remain at a surface level, lacking specific examples or deeper analysis to fully support the points made. The position is consistent, but the supporting arguments would benefit from more detailed elaboration to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. There is a logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In addition,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'So far economic growth can be possible to produce skillful and hardworking people,' which lacks a logical connection to the preceding point. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the flow between sentences could be smoother.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at using topic-specific vocabulary like 'technological development' and 'medical diagnosis.' However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'join a foreign country' instead of 'work abroad' or 'emigrate,' and 'world-prestigious institutions.' The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score. The vocabulary is functional but not particularly sophisticated.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms, article usage, and sentence construction. For example, 'Many individuals suggested that...' should be 'suggest' (present tense), and 'So far economic growth can be possible to produce...' is grammatically awkward and unclear. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of errors in sentence structure prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The student demonstrates an attempt at complex structures, but these are often marred by inaccuracies.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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