Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-30

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)

Whether study abroad or doing some work for experience after graduation is difficult decision. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. I totally agree with it that advantages are outweigh than the disadvantages.

Many universities provide wide variety of courses to their students for acquiring better skills and experience during their study. Majority of students want to earn money and bear their own expenses at this level. These courses assist them for gaining knowledge and trained for practical life. Moreover short courses teach the students value of time. After exams all the learners become free so they wasted their time in unusual activities. The main goal of professor is to engage the graduates in academic and professional activities. For instance after graduation university allow them to do internship for short interval of time and apply the techniques and methods into reality. On the other hand a significant pro is recognise the ability of student by performing in short time courses. Because by doing so they are able to find intelligent , competitive and persuasive student so they can polished the brilliant student. It will increase the chances of higher education for student to study abroad. To illustrate this, overseas students not merely acquire education but also gain better insight of their career.

On the other hand there are some disadvantages of

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, stopping abruptly at 221 words. This significantly impacts the development of the argument, as the essay is incomplete and lacks a conclusion or a balanced discussion of the disadvantages. While you state a clear position in the introduction, the body paragraphs are under-developed and lack sufficient supporting evidence. The prompt asks for a discussion of both study abroad and work placements, but the essay focuses primarily on short courses and internships, failing to fully address the 'study abroad' component of the task. To improve, ensure you complete the essay structure and provide specific, relevant examples for all parts of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay shows some attempt at logical organization, using transition words like 'Moreover' and 'On the other hand'. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Paragraphing is present but the second paragraph is cut off, which disrupts the flow. The use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the transition into the second paragraph which does not follow logically from the first. To improve, focus on creating a clear, balanced structure where each paragraph develops a single main idea, and ensure that your cohesive devices connect sentences and paragraphs smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary range is limited and often repetitive. There are several instances of awkward word choices and incorrect collocations, such as 'unusual activities' instead of 'leisure time' or 'productive activities', and 'polished the brilliant student' which is grammatically and lexically imprecise. Some phrases are used incorrectly, such as 'advantages are outweigh than the disadvantages', which should be 'the advantages outweigh the disadvantages'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of academic vocabulary and ensure that words are used in their correct collocations. Focus on precision rather than using complex words incorrectly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('university allow them'), article usage ('the value of time' vs 'value of time'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple or contain errors in complex structures, such as 'Because by doing so they are able to find intelligent, competitive and persuasive student'. The misuse of 'outweigh' as an adjective rather than a verb is a recurring issue. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of verb tenses before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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

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