Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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)

The debate is actually about the universities undergraduate courses that should encourage students to spend time in foreign countries for studies or any internship experience.

If the universities include that subject of studying abroad or any internship placement,will increase the chances of students to improve their skills and involve themselves in the foreign environment and fill the communication gap and along this will increases the job opportunities in the universities as well the companies where they gain experiences.This will also come with some disadvantages that includes the expenses to handle or studying abroad as well the accomodatios,traveling,foods and the other things there.If someone goes for work placement, this will comes with a lot of communication gap and the environment in the companies and offices.The students have to manage their working shifts as well their own meals and their projects that have deadlines.But there are not much disadvantages that can cause one to stop that.

I can truly be in favor of that idea of taking some time to study abroad or work their in the form of internship as a part of universities undergraduate courses.The basic reason for that is a lot of benefits that comes with this.It can convert the most introvert person to extrovert because they have to spend time in foreign universities or workplace.The person will learn about how to live alone and manage their expenses in a good way.The university areas and the workplace employees engagement will make the students to be confident and increases their chances to work in future in that companies or universities according to their skills and hard work.

So universities undergraduate courses should include the time period of studying abroad or to gain some experience in the foreign big companies to improve their skills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, ultimately taking a clear position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of 'communication gap' is repeated without clear explanation of how it functions as a disadvantage in a work placement. While the student argues that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, the supporting arguments—such as becoming an extrovert—are slightly simplistic. To reach a higher band, the student should provide more nuanced examples and ensure that the link between the proposed policy and the stated benefits is more logically robust and detailed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. Phrases like 'along this will increases' and 'the basic reason for that is' are used to link ideas, but they lack the sophistication required for higher bands. Furthermore, some sentences are run-on or lack clear transitions between clauses, which occasionally disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the coherence of the writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range expected at higher levels. The student relies on basic terminology such as 'good way', 'things', and 'big companies'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'include that subject of studying abroad' (referring to a policy rather than a subject) and 'work their' (incorrect usage of 'there'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more sophisticated or academic vocabulary limits the score. Incorporating more precise academic collocations would improve the quality of the expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'this will comes', 'this will also come with some disadvantages that includes'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'the universities undergraduate courses'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing after commas. While the student attempts complex sentences, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage is essential.

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

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