Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

All university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.

Do you think the advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays, some people believe that all universities undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing work in any company. I believe these advantages of the idea are greater than the disadvantages because I think it is useful for students ability and also students learn some skills and gain experience.

On the one hand, there are several advantages to studying abroad or doing a work placement. Firstly, it helps students to learn something new and improve their career. For example, when students go abroad they meet different peoples and see new cultures, they learn many things and improve their mind and also in another country students learn a new language . However, when students speak another language they have better opportunities and they improve their career. Second, when students while studying do work in any company it is better for students' career. For instance, when students do a work placement they learn some new skills and gain experience, after they graduate they have more job opportunities and they do work more productively.

On the other hand, although these ideas have some disadvantages, studying abroad is more expensive. For example, students have to pay for food, accommodation and travelling. However, also some students feel homesickness because they live away from their families. Furthermore, doing a work placement while studying takes extra time, while students have no time for their studies, which may affect students future life. Moreover, I think universities can help students by providing financial support and providing better opportunities.

To sum it up, certain individuals believe students while studying go abroad or do work in any company. Although there are some disadvantages, I believe these idea advantages are important for students' career and future life. While students learn skills and gain experience, students also become confident. Finally, it is helpful for them to offer good job opportunities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question and state a clear view in the introduction and conclusion: the advantages are greater because placements build skills and experience. Relevant points include cultural exposure, language learning, employment prospects, costs, homesickness, and reduced study time. However, several points are asserted rather than explained—for example, meeting people and seeing new cultures are said to “improve their mind,” without clarifying how this benefits students. The disadvantages are also listed briefly, and the response does not fully compare their importance with the benefits. The conclusion repeats the position but adds little synthesis. Develop fewer points with specific explanations or examples, and make the weighing of advantages against disadvantages more explicit. The response meets the task’s length requirement; 13 words copied from the prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the main direction of the argument. You use signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “To sum it up.” However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, with repeated “For example,” “However,” and “Furthermore,” rather than clear links showing how one point develops from the previous one. Some references are also unclear, as in “these idea advantages,” and the final paragraph repeats earlier claims instead of bringing them together. Improve cohesion by grouping related points, using pronouns and linking phrases precisely, and ensuring each paragraph advances the comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, including relevant terms such as “work placement,” “accommodation,” “financial support,” and “job opportunities.” However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, especially “students,” “career,” “learn,” and “experience.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “different peoples,” “improve their mind,” and “do work in any company,” which make parts of the argument less precise. There are also word-form and possessive issues, including “universities undergraduate courses” and “students ability.” Aim to use more precise academic collocations and vary repeated vocabulary—for instance, refer to “undergraduates,” “professional development,” or “host communities” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast clause beginning “although” and a relative clause in “which may affect students future life.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but errors recur in agreement, articles, possessives, and sentence construction. Examples include “all universities undergraduate courses,” “these idea advantages,” and “students future life”; these need clearer grammatical forms such as possessives or plural agreement. The sentence beginning “when students while studying do work” is awkwardly structured, and the long sentence about going abroad joins several ideas with commas, making the relationships harder to follow. Use a wider range of controlled sentence patterns, check noun phrases and subject–verb agreement, and separate or restructure sentences when they contain several linked claims.

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