Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-21
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 4.5)
It has long been a subject of discussion weather a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. In this essay, the formal notion has several elements that deserve attention, and i will partially agree many students going abroad for study but time spend in work placement. which i will elaborate in upcoming paragraph before reaching a concrete conclusion.
To commence with, one of the many student experience new culture and improve communication skills. To clear it precisely many course are most expensive and challenging for new student to coming study abroad. Moreover, many students are scared because he going first time going new place survive alone without parents. According to new research suggest that study abroad improve our work skills, which highlighted the importance of practical experience. Hence, I belive that the advantages and disadvantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 139 words. Consequently, the development of ideas is severely limited. While the essay attempts to address the prompt by mentioning the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad or work placements, the arguments are underdeveloped and lack sufficient supporting evidence or examples. The position is unclear, as the introduction is fragmented and fails to clearly state a stance. The conclusion is also missing, leaving the task incomplete. To improve, you must expand on your points with specific examples and ensure you reach the required length to allow for a full discussion of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay shows some attempt at logical organization, using transition signals like 'To commence with' and 'Moreover'. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the lack of depth and the incomplete nature of the sentences. Paragraphing is present but the content within the paragraphs is disjointed. Referencing is often unclear, such as in the sentence 'many course are most expensive', where the connection to the previous point is weak. The overall structure is fragmented, making it difficult for the reader to follow the argument. Improving the use of cohesive devices and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'weather' instead of 'whether' and 'belive' instead of 'believe'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to discuss the topic in an academic manner. Phrases like 'new student to coming study abroad' are grammatically awkward and demonstrate a lack of precision. To achieve a higher band, you should focus on using more varied and precise vocabulary, including collocations related to education and professional development, and ensure you check your spelling carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('many course are'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms ('he going first time going new place'). Sentence structures are mostly simple and often incomplete or fragmented. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, which are necessary for higher band scores. To improve, you should focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and work on using a wider variety of grammatical structures, such as relative clauses and conditional sentences, while maintaining accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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