Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-29

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 debated whether professionals should work in the same country where they completed their training or they are free to work in other countries. While some people believe that they should work in the same country where they completed their training , others argue that they should be free where they want. I believe that skill workers should have complete freedom of work.

On the one hand, some people believe that professionals should stay in the same country for the work where they completed their training because they may perform better. This is because where they started their journey, it may help them in a better way to apply their skills because they can take guidance from their instructors. For example, A person started their training abroad, after completeing their training their trainer may help them to find a better opportunity for them. As a result, they can start their career instead of returning to their home country and find a job.

On the other hand, others believe that professionals should completely free to work in other countries because they may have a better opportunity to make their future. Many countries are paying low salaries or does not provide an appropriate environment to their workers. For instance, a doctor completed their training and start working in the same country but environment is good for them to survive over there. They can move to other country where they can find suitable working place. In my opinion, this view convincing because if workers are not satisfied with their environment or salary expectations, they can move to another country.

In conclusion, there are valid argument on both sides on this debate, I believe that skill workers should free to choose their dream country for their better career instead of staying at the same country where they are not satisfy.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that professionals should work where they trained versus the view that they should be free to work elsewhere—and presents a clear personal position. The writer supports ideas with explanations, such as mentioning guidance from instructors or seeking better salaries. However, some arguments lack full development and tend to over-generalise or remain slightly repetitive, particularly in the body paragraphs where examples can be vague or circular, such as 'a doctor completed their training and start working in the same country but environment is good for them'. Because the task is addressed and a clear stance is maintained throughout, the response meets the criteria for Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, two body paragraphs, and the conclusion appropriately. Cohesive devices are used to signal shifts between viewpoints, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the phrase 'this view convincing' is missing a verb, and transitions between sentences can feel disjointed due to grammatical awkwardness. Paragraphing is present and fulfills a logical function, but the overall progression of ideas could be smoother and better linked to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'professionals', 'instructors', and 'salaries'. There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are often accompanied by inaccuracy or unnatural collocation, such as 'skill workers' instead of 'skilled workers', and 'make their future' instead of 'build their careers'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but word choice errors are noticeable, such as 'completeing' and 'argument' instead of 'arguments' in the conclusion. These lexical slips do not severely impede communication, placing the response solidly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text that demonstrate limited control over complex structures. Examples include tense inconsistencies and missing verbs, such as 'does not provide' following plural subjects, 'start working' instead of 'started working', and 'this view convincing' lacking the copular verb 'is'. Although meaning is generally conveyed and communication is rarely impeded, the persistence of basic grammatical errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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