Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-24

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)

All university undergraduates should have the opportunity to study abroad or to do a work internship, while there are many advantages and disadvantages to the aspect but the advantages are more significant for students personal and professional growth.

First and foremost, studying abroad will enhance skills will help them to adapt the other cultural significance, as they will have many friends from different nations, which will have a better knowledge. Moreover, will get the chance to work in a big companies, which will help them to support there families as the salaries will be higher in comparison to other country for instance, if a person works in India and earns 1 lakh per month on the other same person will earn almost about 3lakhs in abroad, will have a better career opportunities.

On the other hand, if children go to abroad they will leave there families back home which will make them feel lonely, and lack of emotional support, whereas it is difficult for a middle class person to send there kids abroad for studies as it costs about 25 to 30 Lakh which is quite expensive for them. Additionally, old parents are left alone and do not have kids as support with them. Furthermore, when there’s no one to look after them there is a possibility children can get indulged in wrong activities like, drinking alcohol, smoking etc.

In conclusion, according to me the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, as students get an possiblty to change there future, will learn multiple skills, adaptation of different cultures, and a lifelong learning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, and a clear position is maintained throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention cultural adaptation and financial benefits, the arguments are brief and rely on personal examples that lack depth. The discussion of disadvantages, such as loneliness and financial burden, is relevant but could be expanded with more sophisticated reasoning. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully explored with clear explanations and logical consequences rather than just listing potential outcomes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices like 'First and foremost', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to signal transitions. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as the run-on sentences in the second paragraph. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, for example, 'the same person will earn almost about 3lakhs in abroad'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence connects logically to the next will improve the overall cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'internship', 'professional growth', and 'emotional support'. However, there are instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'adapt the other cultural significance' and 'get indulged in wrong activities'. Additionally, there is some repetition of basic vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoid informal phrasing. Expanding your range of synonyms and ensuring words are used in their correct context will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement, incorrect use of articles (e.g., 'in abroad'), and confusion between 'there' and 'their'. Many sentences are fragmented or lack a clear subject, such as 'will get the chance to work'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like pluralisation and pronoun usage would be highly beneficial.

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