Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23
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)
Some individuals think that professionals, as doctors and engineers, ought to be working in the country where they did their training. Whereas, others believe they have to choose where they work even if in another country. From my perspective, people have to be free to work everywhere they want. Because, it is their choice, career and responsibility, and working in the same country they trained in is not obligatory.
On one hand, employees including doctors and engineers have the choice to work everywhere. Because, they are responsible and free to work in an other country, specially for these two fields of work, they can help other people in different countries so they have to take the chance to aid them. A compelling example is healthcare workers, are responsible for other individuals lives, countries that are lack of doctors need others’ knowledge and resources.
On the other hand, people believe that it is required for workers to work in the same country they trained in. Nevertheless, it is not obligatory to work in the same place they studied in. For instance, they want to change their way of working and the kind of people they want to work with as it is their career. To illustrate this, the Algerian government, informed workers in the field of medicine and engineering to not leave the country and work in their own country as an obligation.
To conclude, different arguments about doctors and engineers. People believe that they have to work in the same place they studied in, and others think that they are free. For me, it is more accurate for employees to choose where they want to work, because it is their life and their career.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the Algerian government is introduced but not fully explained in terms of its impact on the broader debate. The points made about healthcare workers are relevant but remain at a surface level. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your reasoning with more detailed explanations or specific, well-integrated examples that directly support your claims. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis needs to be increased to fully satisfy the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate. For example, starting sentences with 'Because,' or 'Whereas,' is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow. The transition between ideas is often abrupt, and the use of linking words could be more sophisticated. While there is a logical progression, the essay would benefit from a wider variety of cohesive devices and more careful attention to sentence-level connections to ensure the writing flows more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'healthcare workers' and 'medicine and engineering'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'countries that are lack of doctors' instead of 'countries that lack doctors'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary. Avoid repetitive phrasing and ensure that your word choices are accurate in context to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the 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 the reader. Common issues include incorrect sentence fragments (e.g., 'Because, it is their choice...'), subject-verb agreement errors, and awkward punctuation. For example, 'Some individuals think that professionals, as doctors and engineers...' should be 'such as'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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