Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12

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 5.0)

We can see in current generation most of students prefer "STUDY ABROAD" for their higher education including me, if we choose work placement we may not get a proper job related to it and they may not be sacrificed for the packages that the company will offer so mainly for study abroad most of the student go for their studies for better opportunities they seek job and get influenced by other for present job market.

One of the most advantage of study aboard is that "IN OTHER COUNTRIES THEIR WILL BE A BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR FUTURE WHICH COULD BE VERY HELPFULL", However every one mostly recommend for study abroad for their better future that can help them get well settled life in future with a hard-work and this could be very helpful.

Now coming for disadvantages, Basically in abroad for any studies the cost expenses will be high and may not get a proper maintenance we should maintain in a limited way we couldn't spend money irrelevantly and if we overcome these disadvantages it will actually worth it.

I will also chose "STUDY ABROAD" for my future taking it seriously we can also take care of our own expanses through part-time job and maintain the expenses which can be very useful and also helpful for the recovery if we take loan.

As we can see many students go for abroad for their studies which may help them for their future also my cousin have already gone for his masters in 2019 and he completed the studies and now he is well settle but after completing the course he didn't get a job so he never "Give up" he tired and got a good job now he is well settled.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt but lacks a clear, consistent position. While you mention both study abroad and work placements, the argument is underdeveloped and relies heavily on personal anecdotes rather than a balanced academic discussion of the advantages and disadvantages. The ideas are often repetitive, such as the repeated mention of 'better future' and 'well settled', without providing specific, analytical reasons. To improve, you should structure your essay with clear topic sentences for each paragraph and ensure that you directly compare the benefits and drawbacks of both options (study abroad and work placements) in a more structured, objective manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear logical progression. Paragraphs are not well-defined, and the transition between ideas is often abrupt or confusing. For example, the shift from discussing study abroad to work placements and then back to personal anecdotes feels disjointed. There is a lack of cohesive devices; you rely on simple connectors like 'and' or 'also' rather than using a variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'on the other hand') to guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is inconsistent, making it difficult to follow the development of your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic phrases like 'better future', 'well settled', and 'very helpful'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'proper maintenance' when referring to financial management, and 'expanses' instead of 'expenses'. The use of informal language and quotation marks around phrases like 'STUDY ABROAD' is inappropriate for an academic essay. To reach a higher band, you need to incorporate a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary and ensure that words are used in their correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'every one mostly recommend'), sentence structure (run-on sentences), and punctuation. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper grammatical control, such as 'if we choose work placement we may not get a proper job related to it and they may not be sacrificed for the packages'. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences are often inaccurate. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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