Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11
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)
People often argue that doctors and engineers should practice their profession in the country where they completed their formal training, while some argue that they should be allowed to practice in any part of the world. In my opinion, like any other profession, they should be permitted to practice in any country of their choice.
The idea of people who believe that doctors and engineer should work in the country they gained knowledge comes from brain drain. Brain drain is another phenomenon which is feared by these people. Many talented individuals leave their country in order to pursue better opportunities elsewhere. For example, many CEOs of multi-billion dollar company's and specialist doctors are not the people who completed their formal education from where the company is head quartered. Hence, people fear the losing of such brilliant minds which could have benefited the country where they completed formal education.
People should have the free will to choose where ever they would like to practice their profession. This thought stems through the idea of gaining monetary benefit. In many countries, due to the schemes and policies the land, professionals such as doctors and engineers often fail to meet the monetary justice that there skill is worth for. For example, in south asian countries the cost of heart surgery and average pay for an engineer is 5-6 times lesser than what western countries would pay. The idea is, if a professional is getting paid more than what they earn, why would they not accept the offer and feel much more stable financially.
In conclusion, people should think of serving in their country, but we cannot force people to stay, as it is the choice an individual not community.
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 both sides of the argument and clearly states a personal position in the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention 'brain drain' and 'monetary benefit', the arguments could be more thoroughly extended with more specific examples or deeper analysis. For instance, the discussion on 'monetary justice' is a good point, but the explanation of how this impacts the country of origin versus the individual could be more nuanced. The conclusion is a bit brief and does not fully synthesize the points discussed. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph provides a more comprehensive exploration of the implications of these views.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'For example', 'Hence', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly abrupt. For example, the shift from discussing 'brain drain' to the individual's right to choose could be smoother. Additionally, the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'due to the schemes and policies the land', which lacks a clear connection to the preceding context. Improving the variety and sophistication of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'phenomenon', 'specialist', and 'monetary justice'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'the losing of such brilliant minds' (should be 'the loss of') and 'policies the land' (should be 'policies of the land'). There are also some minor grammatical errors affecting word forms, such as 'company's' (should be 'companies') and 'there skill' (should be 'their skill'). To improve, focus on more precise collocations and ensure that your word forms are accurate in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally hinder the flow. For example, 'the cost of heart surgery and average pay for an engineer is 5-6 times lesser' contains a comparative error ('less' instead of 'lesser') and subject-verb agreement issues. There are also errors with articles and pluralization, such as 'from where the company is head quartered'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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