Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-09

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 this modern era, all universities allows undergraduate students a break for studying abroad or doing a part-time job along with their studies has become increasingly common. While, this trend does offers numerous benefits, it also represents certain drawbacks.

One of the primary advantages is that student who travels in an international country for education gain practical experience and knowledge and might improve their learning skills. Furthermore, by doing a part-time job they become able to meet their financial needs and to avail basic citizen rights. A particularly good example of this a child who moves abroad during his studies may also support his family members by sending a specific part of his income. Furthermore, he gets the chance to study under the supervision of highly qualified and knowledgeable professors and polish their talent and skills in their choosing field.

Despite the advantages, it also has several disadvantages. One notable demerit is that student who become independent in foreign state do not return to their country for completing their undergraduate degree. Additionally, their homeland does not gets any benefit from their abilities and skills. They continue to study in another country and along gets occupation for their survival. This occurs mainly due to they obtain easily everything they want. Students started to set their lives in abroad and continue living there. For example, if a child gets sufficient beneficial job and studies there he never want to escape anything.

In conclusion, although studying in another state has several advantages, its disadvantages such as forgetting their own country and proves useful for others nation must be considered carefully before making any final opinion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You discuss both benefits and drawbacks, including practical learning, financial support, and the possibility that graduates remain abroad. However, the task asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and your position is not clearly established: the conclusion says the disadvantages “must be considered carefully” rather than stating which side is stronger. Some points are also unclear or insufficiently developed, such as “basic citizen rights” and the claim that students “easily” obtain everything they want. Develop a more direct comparison, explain why one side matters more, and support each main idea with a clear example or consequence. This would make your response address the central question more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on advantages, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. The contrast between the two main body paragraphs is easy to follow, and signposts such as “Furthermore,” “Despite the advantages,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “This occurs mainly due to they obtain easily everything they want” does not clearly explain the preceding point, and repeated use of “Furthermore” makes the linking less flexible. Some references, such as “he” and “their,” also make it harder to track who is being discussed. Use clearer cause-and-effect links and connect each example explicitly to its main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “practical experience,” “financial needs,” “qualified,” and “abilities and skills,” and the reader can generally understand your ideas. You also attempt less common expressions such as “under the supervision of” and “independent.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “in an international country,” “basic citizen rights,” “forgetting their own country,” and “escape anything.” These choices sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to interpret. Aim for more precise, natural combinations and avoid repeating broad terms such as “skills” and “benefit.” For instance, describe the specific skills gained or the particular contribution students could make to their home country.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “while,” “who,” and “if.” However, errors occur frequently and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Examples include “all universities allows,” “this trend does offers,” and “student who travels … gain,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect. There are also problems with articles and sentence construction, as in “A particularly good example of this a child,” and with clause structure in “This occurs mainly due to they obtain.” Some sentences shift between singular and plural pronouns, such as “a student” followed by “their.” Practise building accurate subject–verb patterns and checking each sentence’s clause structure before adding more complex ideas.

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