Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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)

In universities there should be different kind of activities as a course in undergraduate programs. These periods should include to study something in foreign countries or do some kind of jobs as an internship. I think there are many advantages of this that overcome the disadvantages.

First of all study some courses in abroad broaden our prespective about that specific subject. Due to this approach the student will become able to grow in his field and show remarkable results. Moreover, this will provide deep knowledge and helps the student to learn some extra-ordinary skills. Secondly, studying abroad allows the student to communicate with persons from different countries. This thing will enhance their social circle and boost their communication skills and also provide the benefit of learning new languages.

On the other hand, the universities should have an internship oppurtunities for their students during the whole program.As it is known that the practical work is more important than studying the book only. This strategy will allow the students to learn practical things related to their subjects. Moreover, the learners will gain practical skills that will be good for them in future. Due to these short term training programs they will get experience and could compete for jobs.

To sum up, it is crucial to introduce some extra curricular activities in undergraduate programs. Because this modern approach prepare the students that how to compete for a job in future. Moreover, studying in different countries expand the knowledge and provide numerous career opportunities. While working as an internee polish the practical skills of the students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of including study abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses, ultimately taking a clear stance that advantages outweigh disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and generally supported, though some points remain slightly under-developed. For example, the mention of gaining extra-ordinary skills or enhancing social circles is introduced but not fully extended with specific examples. The position is maintained throughout the essay. However, to reach a higher band, the discussion on disadvantages could be more fully integrated, as the text primarily focuses on the numerous benefits without deeply exploring the drawbacks beyond a passing acknowledgment. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, meeting the core requirements of presenting a position with relevant supporting arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Paragraphing is utilised appropriately to separate different arguments, with an introduction, two body paragraphs focusing on study abroad and internships respectively, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'Secondly', and 'On the other hand' are used to sequence ideas, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional awkward phrasing in transitional sentences disrupts the natural flow of ideas. For instance, 'This thing will enhance their social circle' is somewhat informal and loose in its cohesion. Overall, the essay is coherent, but smoother, more varied cohesive ties and more sophisticated paragraph transitions would be required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to incorporate less common items such as 'prespective', 'internship', 'internee', and 'extra curricular activities'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, including 'prespective' (perspective), 'in abroad' (abroad), 'oppurtunities' (opportunities), and 'extra-ordinary' (extraordinary). Furthermore, phrases like 'do some kind of jobs' and 'studying the book only' lean towards conversational or simplistic language rather than precise academic register. While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly, these frequent inaccuracies and limitations in precision prevent the response from achieving a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and subordinate clauses ('Due to this approach the student will become able...'). However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the response. There are issues with article usage, prepositional phrases ('study some courses in abroad', 'during the whole program'), subject-verb agreement ('the universities should have an internship oppurtunities'), and awkward relative clauses ('prepare the students that how to compete'). Despite these errors, meaning is rarely obscured, and communication is maintained. The control over complex structures is inconsistent, placing the response firmly in the band 5 range for grammar.

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