Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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)

Study in a abroad country is popular worldwide where universities are arranging the courses for students who are undergraduate to study in another country or do some work placement. In this essay, I will discuss both advantages and disadvantages.

On one hand, universities who want to add a time schedule for undergraduate students to studing in abroad or for a work placement have turn the students develop new interest of studing and get the exprience before their prodessinal life. However, during summer breaks or semester holidays universities develop new way of learning for example, students whose subjects are related to medical and engineering they might get information for their career that it attracts their attention towards their profession.

On the other hand, private universities may not introduce these facilities to their students because of financial support and it cause students a burden to arrange fee for this activity, while working in different country during study can cause lack of interest in studies who are week in managing time. Although universities are responsible for any serious cause because students often create disturbance in some cases such as not arriving at time and do not cooperate with others. Moreover, students get permission by their parents to allow them for enrole in such courses which is not same for all students.

In conclusion, universities can include these courses during semester breaks but it is challenging for some universities to allow students in these courses. However, from my perspective, the disadvantages have severe effect on students profession and it is beeter to study in their own country.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially. While the introduction outlines an intention to discuss both advantages and disadvantages, the student's position is not fully clear until the final conclusion, where they state that the disadvantages have a severe effect and it is better to study in their own country. The ideas presented are limited and tend to be under-developed. For example, in the second body paragraph, the mention of students getting information for their career is vaguely expressed without concrete examples or sufficient elaboration. To move to a higher band, the writer needs to present a clear, consistent position throughout the essay and extend each main idea with relevant supporting details and specific examples, rather than generalizing the outcomes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response shows some organization with basic transitional markers like 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion,' which attempt to structure the essay. However, there is no clear overall progression of ideas, and the paragraphing does not guide the reader smoothly through a well-developed argument. Cohesive devices are sometimes used inaccurately or repetitively, such as the excessive use of 'however' to link opposing points awkwardly within the same paragraph, as seen with 'However, during summer breaks...' following the previous sentence. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to trace what pronouns or phrases refer to. To improve, the writer should ensure each paragraph has a singular, clear focus and that cohesive links are used naturally and precisely to connect ideas logically.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task, providing basic terms related to education. There are noticeable lexical errors, such as 'Study in a abroad country,' 'prodessinal life,' 'studing,' 'exprience,' 'week in managing time' (weak), and 'enrole,' which stem from issues with word form and spelling. These errors occasionally cause some difficulty or hesitation for the reader. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'financial support' and 'disturbance,' but control is weak. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand their lexical range, pay closer attention to correct word forms and spelling, and use precise collocations appropriate for an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay displays a very limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences or attempts at complex sentences that are frequently faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors in verb tenses, word forms, articles, and prepositions inside grammatical patterns, which can cause difficulty for the reader. Examples include 'universities who want to add a time schedule... have turn the students develop new interest,' 'students whose subjects are related to medical and engineering,' 'it cause students a burden,' and 'students get permission by their parents to allow them for enrole.' To progress, the writer needs to demonstrate better control over complex sentence forms, ensure correct subject-verb agreement, and minimize basic grammatical errors throughout the text.

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

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