Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-01

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)

The issue of professionals working has engendered considerable controversy in contemporary society, with divergent perspectives emerging regarding its overall significance. While one school of thought maintains that professional workers should be required to work in the country they did their traning viewed from one particular standpoint, another contends that be free to work in another country if they wish deserves greater recognition. In my view, although both positions possess a degree of legitimacy, the latter perspective is ultimately more compelling. This essay will critically examine both viewpoints before reaching a reasoned conclusion.

At the outset, advocates of professionals should be required to work in the country where they did their training advance the contention that it constitutes a consequential aspect of modern society. Their standpoint is predominantly predicated upon the assumption that professionals should be required to work in the country where they did their training can exert a substantial influence on individuals and society at large. Moreover, proponents argue that its ramifications can transcend immediate circumstances and manifest themselves in multifaceted ways. From this perspective, therefore, professionals should be required to work in the country where they did their training represents an indispensable consideration that should not be underestimated or dismissed without due deliberation.

Conversely, an opposing school of thought maintains that professionals should be free to work in another country if they wish should be approached from an entirely different perspective. The principal justification for this position is that its implications may be considerably more profound than they initially appear. Furthermore, supporters of this viewpoint contend that insufficient attention to the broader dimensions of professionals should be free to work in another country if they wish could give rise to unforeseen and potentially detrimental consequences. Consequently, this perspective has gained substantial recognition among those who believe that a more comprehensive approach is indispensable.

In conclusion, it is evident that professionals workings remains an inherently multifaceted issue, capable of being interpreted from contrasting standpoints. Although the arguments presented by both sides possess a certain degree of validity, I remain of the view that the latter perspective is more convincing. Ultimately, a balanced and comprehensive consideration of professionals working is indispensable if its broader implications are to be properly understood and appropriately addressed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response addresses the task only minimally, primarily because the body paragraphs rely heavily on repetitive, generic placeholder phrasing rather than developing substantive arguments about whether professionals should work in their home country or abroad. For instance, phrases such as 'professionals should be required to work in the country where they did their training can exert a substantial influence' are repeated verbatim without providing concrete examples or real-world justifications. While a position is stated in the introduction and maintained in the conclusion, the ideas remain severely under-developed, lacking the specific discussions on economic impact, brain drain, or personal freedom that the prompt requires. To move to a higher level, the writer must ensure that ideas are fully explored with relevant supporting details and specific examples rather than relying on circular, formulaic language.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates some overall organization with a clear four-paragraph structure, an introduction, distinct body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, progression is hindered because the body paragraphs lack clear topical development, functioning more as repetitive templates than logically advancing ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'At the outset' and 'Conversely', but referencing and logical flow are compromised by the heavy repetition of entire prompt phrases. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the different stages of the essay. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to ensure that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one with clear progression of thought, rather than restating the same generalized template.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The essay displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'engendered considerable controversy', 'multifaceted', and 'indispensable'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as the awkward phrasing 'professionals workings remains an inherently multifaceted issue' and 'traning' (spelling error). Furthermore, the heavy reliance on copy-pasting long strings of prompt vocabulary limits lexical flexibility. To progress, the writer should use a wider variety of precise synonyms and demonstrate better control over word formation, spelling, and natural collocations without depending on repetitive templates.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with attempts at subordinate clauses such as 'While one school of thought maintains that...' and 'Although the arguments presented...'. There are some grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as missing words in 'another contends that be free to work' and a spelling slip with 'traning'. However, the errors present do not heavily impede overall communication. To reach a higher band, the writer must increase the proportion of error-free complex sentences and ensure that grammatical patterns, such as noun clauses and infinitives, are constructed with high accuracy.

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