Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-06

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)

There is considerable debate about whether professionals should work in the country where they did their training. While others argue that they should be free to work in another country. Although there are numerous benefits for a country by these professionals, there should be a free will for professionals either they work in native country or abroad.

Firstly, there are many advantages for doctors or engineers to work in developed countries because they have more facilities to offer. They can maintained their lifestyle properly by the lump sum salary package which they get from bigger organizations in advanced countries. For example, if an engineer is working in the Pakistan, he can get maximum 90,000 in pkr. But if he decide to move to USA, he can get more money to improve his lifestyle. Moreover, there are also range of travel opportunities for him to explore the world if he is working in a good company. Consequently, working abroad in a modern environment will be beneficial for the professionals.

Secondly, moving abroad can also increase the exposure of young ones with different cultures. That ultimately will has a positive change in the working methods of these individuals. There are numerous bigger platforms in Europe and America to research. They can get beneficial trainings through these sources. For instance, if a doctor wants to have a training in surgery. There are many german universities and hospitals which gave trainings to young adults to be a expert in this field. A person can be a good professional as well as he can also work there for experience. As a result, it could be symbiotic relationship for both country and professional by working in that country.

On the other hand, there are many drawbacks for the native country because if i take Pakistan as a example, there are millions of young professionals who go abroad every year in search of good opportunities. It causes shortage of professionals in Pakistan.

In conclusion, although there are many disadvantages for a country, the advantages for citizens outweigh the disadvantages. Government ought to allow everyone to go abroad.

AI examiner evaluation

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 uneven. While the benefits of working abroad are well-supported with examples, the counter-argument regarding the 'drawbacks for the native country' is underdeveloped and lacks sufficient depth. The introduction is slightly disjointed due to grammatical issues in the second sentence, which affects the clarity of the initial position. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are balanced in terms of depth and that the conclusion clearly synthesizes the main points discussed in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'Consequently', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly abrupt. For example, the transition between the discussion of German universities and the conclusion of that paragraph could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure would benefit from more sophisticated linking phrases to improve the logical progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'symbiotic relationship' and 'modern environment'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'lump sum salary package' (which is slightly unnatural in this context) and 'gave trainings' (should be 'provide training'). Some phrasing is repetitive, and the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, preventing the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on more precise collocations and academic synonyms would significantly improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'They can maintained their lifestyle' (incorrect verb form), 'if he decide to move' (subject-verb agreement), and 'that ultimately will has a positive change' (incorrect auxiliary verb usage). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentence fragments, such as 'For instance, if a doctor wants to have a training in surgery.' These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. Increasing the accuracy of complex structures and proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement is essential.

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