Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-22

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)

Studying abraod or doing a work placement may be postive and negative for student. I believe, the opportunity of studying outside is more important because it may be a great experience to students to learn new skills and knowledge that is neccessary for their professional career. Some people argue that studying abraod has some disadvantages. It may cause some difficulties financialy and emotionaly. For example when a student go to study in another country, it require a huge amount of money to spent in transportation and accommondation and also on food. studying outside means the individual is far from his home and friends. The person may be depressed or anxious because of the need to be supported by his family and also interaction with his friends. In other hand, studying outside is more adventageous. the student may increase his skills, exploring new culture. For example, a specific university has modern materials and technology, also high statue teachers that help students to develop knowledgde and learn new skills. In addition every country are different in culture, in which the individual will learn more about that specific place and make new relationship. In conclusion, studying abraod is important for students to developpe skills, experience and also encourage the interaction between people from different countries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 212 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you present a clear position, the arguments are somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'modern materials and technology' is vague and lacks specific examples. To improve, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to fully develop your arguments. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the points made in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is sometimes hindered by repetitive phrasing and limited use of cohesive devices. While you use transition words like 'In addition' and 'In conclusion', the connection between sentences is often mechanical. For example, the transition 'In other hand' is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is present, but the ideas within the paragraphs could be better linked to create a more cohesive argument. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used accurately will help the reader follow your logic more easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several spelling errors, such as 'abraod' (abroad), 'postive' (positive), 'financialy' (financially), 'emotionaly' (emotionally), and 'developpe' (develop). Additionally, some word choices are imprecise, such as 'high statue teachers' (likely meaning 'high-status' or 'highly qualified') and 'modern materials' (which is vague in an academic context). To improve, focus on learning correct spellings and using more precise academic collocations rather than relying on basic descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'every country are different' (should be 'is') and 'it require' (should be 'it requires'). There are also errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'go to study in another country' and 'interaction with his friends'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors limits the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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