Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-11
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)
Some people think that professionals, such as doctors and engineers should work in the country where they practised their training while other think that they should be allowed to work in any country they wish. This essay discusses both points and also why they should work in the country where they did their training.
Although, people believe that professionals should be allowed to work in whatever country they want to work in so that they have the freedom to practice their profession. For example, they would be able to learn about different techniques about their profession which would in general enhance their knowledge about their profession. On the other hand, the idea about them working in the country where they learned about their profession has its own standing as those professionals know about the traditions, culture or the practises that are done in their country due to which they would be more familiar with what they are doing as they have seen them first hand.
In my opinion, the idea about the professionals working in their own country holds more value as they would know the in and out of their professions. For doctors, they would be familiar with the mindset of the patients they are treating like how sensitive they are to specific medicines and remedies. Whereas, in a foreign country they would have to blend in with the new environment and culture before putting out their own opinions.
In conclusion, the familiarity with their own country would allow those professionals to work in better conditions if they are required to work in the country they practised their training.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You discuss both views and state a consistent preference for professionals to work in the country where they trained. The point that working abroad can expose professionals to different techniques is relevant, while your examples about doctors understanding patients’ needs help explain your position. However, the discussion is uneven: the case for working abroad is brief, and the claim that local professionals understand patients’ responses to medicines is not clearly explained or supported. The conclusion mainly repeats the familiarity argument rather than drawing together both sides. To strengthen the response, develop the benefits and drawbacks of each option with a specific example, and explain more precisely why your preferred arrangement should outweigh professionals’ freedom to choose where they work.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph presenting both views, a paragraph giving your opinion, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand,” “In my opinion,” and “In conclusion” make the main stages easy to follow. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The opening “Although” does not lead into a contrasting main clause, and the first body paragraph moves from the freedom argument to the local-training argument without fully developing either. Repeated references to “their profession” and “their own country” also make progression feel circular. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each supporting example explicitly to the point it illustrates.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the topic, with relevant terms such as “professionals,” “techniques,” “traditions,” and “environment.” You also attempt more specific expressions, including “sensitive to specific medicines.” However, the range is limited by repetition of “profession,” “country,” and “familiar,” and some phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “the in and out of their professions” and “putting out their own opinions.” “Practised their training” is also an awkward way to describe where someone received professional education. Aim for more precise collocations and vary repeated wording; this will make your arguments clearer and more natural without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “so that,” “which,” and “as.” Meaning is generally understandable, but errors occur often enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “other think” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “Although, people believe…” uses a subordinate conjunction without completing the contrast. In “doctors, they would be familiar,” the sentence structure is faulty, while “the mindset of the patients they are treating like how sensitive they are” is difficult to control grammatically. Review agreement, clause structure, and punctuation, especially commas after introductory conjunctions. Building accurate sentences first, then adding subordinate clauses, will improve control and readability.
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