Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-26
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
The best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Many students choose to study law at university because they believe it offers a prestigious and rewarding career. Lawyers are often regarded as intelligent, persuasive and influential members of society. However, becoming a successful lawyer requires more than academic knowledge, and the profession can be highly demanding.
There are several reasons why law attracts university students. To begin with, it is generally considered a prestigious profession and can provide graduates with relatively strong career prospects. Many students are also drawn to law because they enjoy debating, analysing complicated issues and defending their opinions. Furthermore, studying law can open doors to a wide range of careers, including legal practice, politics, business and public administration. For some students, however, the main motivation is the opportunity to uphold justice and protect people's rights, particularly when they have witnessed or learned about social injustice.
To become a successful lawyer, certain personal qualities are essential. Excellent communication skills are particularly important because lawyers must present arguments clearly and persuade judges, clients or opposing parties. They also need strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to examine large amounts of information and identify the most convincing arguments. In addition, attention to detail is crucial, as even a small error in a legal document can have serious consequences. Finally, successful lawyers should possess integrity, patience and emotional resilience, since they frequently deal with sensitive issues and challenging clients.
I largely agree that working in the legal profession is stressful. Lawyers often have to meet strict deadlines, handle several cases simultaneously and make decisions that may have significant consequences for their clients. In addition, some lawyers work long hours, particularly when preparing for major trials or complex negotiations. Nevertheless, the level of stress varies considerably depending on the area of law and the individual's ability to manage pressure. A well-organised lawyer with a manageable workload may experience considerably less stress than someone working in a highly competitive legal environment.
In conclusion, students are attracted to law because of its prestige, career opportunities and potential to contribute to society. Although successful lawyers need a combination of intellectual, communication and personal skills, the profession can undoubtedly be stressful because of its demanding workload and high level of responsibility.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 1.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 1.0
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for an opinion on whether building tall apartment blocks is the best way to provide housing in large cities. However, the essay discusses why students choose to study law and the challenges of the legal profession. Because the response fails to address the specific task prompt entirely, it cannot be assessed for task achievement in relation to the question provided. In an actual IELTS examination, this would result in a very low score for Task Achievement as the content is irrelevant to the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
Despite being off-topic, the essay itself is well-structured. It uses clear paragraphing, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the legal profession. There is a logical progression of ideas, and cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The internal structure is coherent, even though the content does not relate to the task instructions.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is varied and appropriate for an academic essay. The student uses a range of topic-specific vocabulary related to the legal profession, such as 'prestigious,' 'analytical,' 'integrity,' and 'emotional resilience.' The word choices are precise and demonstrate a good level of control, allowing for clear communication of the student's ideas, even though those ideas are not relevant to the prompt.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The grammar is strong throughout the text. The student demonstrates a good command of complex sentence structures, such as 'Many students are also drawn to law because they enjoy debating, analysing complicated issues and defending their opinions.' There is a high level of accuracy, with very few grammatical errors. Punctuation is used correctly, and the sentence variety contributes to a fluent reading experience.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.