Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07

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)

It is widely argued that it should be mandatory for field experts like doctors or engineers to serve in their respected fields in that country from where they completed their trainings while, some are of the opinion that they should be allowed to work anywhere they want. I strongly agree with the latter opinion, this will give them a chance to experience and broaden their research and knowledge about their respective fields.

People who agree on the statement that training country should be the first priority for work probably think that serving in the nation where they learned will be beneficial for the state because freshers are offered un-paid internships which will in turn result in profit for the government. Also, it is seen as a gesture of loyality to the state the institute which gave the a chance to groom and learn.

However, serving in the area where individuals were trained, they will have limited career options for themselves. In case of under-developing countries they will suffer from hand to mouth because they will not be able to make handsome amount of money even after 10 years of struggle whereas in terms of international opportunities there will be a chance to escape the loop. For example, degree holders in Pakistan do not get the desired occupations because of the saturated job markets and if they get it they pay is not satisfactory.

Also, after training moving abroad is among the best options. Not only the people will get a chance to broaden their perspective but monetary support will also be awarded. They will meet new people and can help their country as an oversea. For instance, Many Chinese students after graduating apply in European countries to have a better future.

In a nut shell, although professionals should be required to work in their own country but working at other areas can have benefits too.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding the benefits of staying in the training country is brief and relies on the assumption that 'freshers' are unpaid, which is a generalization. The second body paragraph provides a good example regarding Pakistan, but the final paragraph is contradictory; it states 'although professionals should be required to work in their own country' despite the introduction stating a strong agreement with the opposite view. This inconsistency weakens the overall position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However', 'For example', and 'In a nut shell', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the concluding sentence is confusing because it contradicts the author's stated position in the introduction. The flow of ideas is generally logical, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'respected fields' (instead of 'respective'), 'hand to mouth' (used incorrectly as a verb phrase), and 'the pay is not satisfactory' (should be 'the pay is unsatisfactory'). The use of 'freshers' and 'oversea' (as a noun) is also non-standard in this context. To reach a higher band, you should focus on more precise collocations and avoid informal or inaccurate idiomatic expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with articles ('the state the institute'), subject-verb agreement, and preposition usage ('in terms of international opportunities'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences and comma splices, such as in the introduction: '...allowed to work anywhere they want. I strongly agree...'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the writing.

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