Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-30

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 4.0)

Should professionals be required to work in the country of their training has been a topic of debate. While some believe that they should work in the same country, others argue that they should be allowed to work in any country of their choice. Professionals should stay because countries spend a lot of resources in training these people, however every individual has freedom to make their choice and to look for better opportunities.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response3.0
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall4.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the two positions and give a brief personal view: countries invest resources in training professionals, while individuals should be free to seek better opportunities. These points are relevant, but the response does not develop either side, provide reasons beyond these brief claims, or include the requested examples. The discussion is therefore only a minimal response to the task, and your opinion is stated rather than explained. The response also falls substantially short of the required minimum length, which leaves the main parts of the question unanswered. To improve, explain the benefits and drawbacks of requiring professionals to stay, develop the case for freedom of movement, and support your position with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic logical sequence: it introduces the debate, presents the two views, and ends with a combined position. The contrast marker “While” helps signal the opposing perspectives, and “however” introduces the qualification that individuals should have freedom of choice. However, the whole response is one short paragraph, so the ideas are not separated into a clear introduction, discussion of each view, and conclusion. The relationship between the investment argument and the freedom argument is also asserted rather than developed. Use separate paragraphs and connect each claim to an explanation or example; this would create clearer progression and make the contrast easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the central topic, with relevant terms such as “professionals,” “resources,” “training,” and “opportunities.” The wording is generally understandable, but the range is narrow and several ideas rely on broad, repeated terms such as “work” and “country.” The phrase “make their choice” is also less natural than a more precise expression such as “make their own career decisions.” Because the response is very brief, it does not demonstrate much flexibility or precise vocabulary for discussing migration, public investment, or professional shortages. Build a topic-specific range and use it to explain the consequences of each position more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You use a mixture of sentence forms, including a direct question-style opening and a complex sentence beginning “While.” The main ideas remain understandable, and the final sentence links two contrasting claims with “however.” However, the opening is not formed as a complete, natural statement: “Should professionals be required to work…” would be clearer as “Whether professionals should be required to work…”. The final sentence also joins two independent clauses with a comma before “however”; use a full stop or a semicolon before that connector. The short response offers limited evidence of grammatical range. Practise accurate question framing and punctuation while extending ideas into varied, complete sentences.

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