Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-17

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)

It is true that, all the university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. International students face lots of difficulty to settled owned in different country, students spent their most of the time to being involved in different cultures. Students have the hope for a better job placement for better life style.

To begin with, all university undergraduate courses should must include a period of time spent studying abroad so they all got and rough idea of numbers for work placement. Normally international country's living expenses are higher, most of the students work oart-time during there courses to maintain the expenses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 110 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. The ideas presented, such as the challenges of living abroad and the financial aspects of part-time work, are underdeveloped and lack the necessary depth or supporting examples required for an academic essay. There is no clear position taken on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and the response stops abruptly before completing the argument. To improve, you must expand your ideas with specific examples and ensure you address all parts of the prompt in a structured manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response shows some attempt at organization with a basic introduction and a second paragraph. However, the progression of ideas is disjointed. The transition between the introduction and the second paragraph is weak, and the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical (e.g., 'To begin with'). The lack of a conclusion and the incomplete nature of the arguments make it difficult to follow a logical flow. Paragraphing is present but insufficient to support a full academic argument. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, which restricts the ability to convey complex ideas. There are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'settled owned' instead of 'settle down' and 'international country's' instead of 'foreign countries'. The range of vocabulary is basic and does not demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary to express your points. For example, instead of 'rough idea of numbers', use 'a practical understanding of professional environments'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'all the university undergraduate courses should include' (unnecessary article), 'students spent their most of the time to being involved' (incorrect verb form), and 'during there courses' (incorrect homophone). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. Punctuation is also inconsistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and mastering the use of complex sentences to demonstrate a wider range of grammatical control.

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

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