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 kinds of activities as a course in undergraduate programs. These periods should include to studying something in foreign countries or doing some kind of jobs as an internship. I think there are many advantages of this that overcome the disadvantages.

First of all studying some courses in abroad broadens our perspective 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 help the student to learn some extraordinary skills. Secondly, studying abroad allows the student to communicate with people from different countries. This approach 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 textbook 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 the 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 extracurricular activities in undergraduate programs. Because this modern approach prepares the students on 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 polishes 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 studying abroad and work placements, and clearly states a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Ideas are introduced and supported, such as when the student notes that studying abroad broadens perspectives and enhances communication skills, while internships provide practical work experience for future job competition. However, some arguments tend to be a bit repetitive and under-developed, lacking specific, concrete examples from personal experience to fully extend the main points. For instance, the discussion on skills and career opportunities remains somewhat generalized. Nevertheless, a clear stance is maintained from the introductory paragraph through to the conclusion, satisfying the core requirements for a Band 6.0 performance under this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. Each paragraph has a discernible focus, moving from studying abroad to internships. Cohesive devices are used to signal relationships between ideas, such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'Secondly', and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and paragraphing show some mechanical faults and awkward transitions. For example, the transition to the second body paragraph ('On the other hand, the universities should have an internship oppurtunities...') is slightly abrupt given that the prompt asks whether the advantages of both combined outweigh the disadvantages, treating them as a single concept rather than opposing sides. Overall, the organizational structure is apparent, placing it comfortably at Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'perspectives', 'extracurricular activities', 'internee', and 'remarkable results'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, such as 'oppurtunities' instead of opportunities, 'to studying' instead of studying, 'in abroad' instead of abroad, and treating 'interim' or 'internship' with slight grammatical slips. These lexical inaccuracies do not impede overall communication, as the reader can easily follow the intended meaning, but they prevent the essay from achieving a higher band. The vocabulary is generally functional and minimally sufficient to convey the main arguments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with attempts at subordinate clauses using 'Due to this approach', 'As it is known that', and 'While working as'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that persist throughout the text, such as 'These periods should include to studying', 'studying textbook only', and missing or incorrect articles ('a course', 'compete for jobs'). Punctuation is also occasionally weak, with run-on phrasing and missing commas in compound-complex structures. While these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear, the frequency of grammatical slips places this response firmly at the Band 5.0 level, as complex structures are often somewhat faulty.

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

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