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)

There is no denying fact that the phenomena of wheather studying abroad or doing a work placement for undergraduate students is beneficial or not,is across the globe due to it's importance.Majority of the folks are in the favour of this statement due to it's number of merits.However,some people highlighted the demerits too.Whereas,I strongly believe there are plenty of advantages of undergraduate student studying abroad or doing a work placement and it really can outweigh the disadvantages.In my further paragraphs it will be discussed thoroughly.

Initiating with the point supporting the first school of thought,firstly students should not just confined with the academic studies nor environment.Students should explore the world,know about different people and cultures.They should be trained for their furture carrer outside from the books.Studying abroad or doing a work placement can give a student more knowledge than a academic syllabus.The importance of knowing about how the outside world or companies actually work is enormous.Many students are great in their academics but in the real corporate life they lag behind because of the lackings of experience and communication skills.Studying abroad or doing a work placement for a certain period can make a student more confident and experienced about what he's actually studying rather than having just bookish knowledge.

On the contrasting side,people who hold another view point say that,many students are not comfortable leaving their homeland.Moreover,there are students who need to finish their undergrad as early as possible.They say studying abroad or a work placement makes the course more lenghty.

To conclude,I would like to say that studying abroad or doing a work placement for undergraduate students has enormous benefits and it can outweighs the disadvantages.However,it will depend upon the mindsets of the students and the faculties.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you believe the benefits of overseas study or work placements outweigh the drawbacks. You address both sides, explaining that these experiences can build confidence, practical knowledge and communication skills, while acknowledging homesickness and a longer course. These are relevant points, but the advantages receive much fuller treatment than the disadvantages, and some claims remain general. For example, you say students may “lag behind” in corporate life but do not give a specific example or explain how a placement would address this. Develop the opposing view and support key claims with a concrete example, then explain why the benefits still carry greater weight.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting the proposal, a paragraph presenting concerns, and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument easy to follow. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward, particularly “Initiating with the point supporting the first school of thought” and “On the contrasting side.” The first body paragraph also contains several ideas in a long sequence, so the relationship between practical experience, confidence and communication skills could be made clearer. Use simpler, more precise transitions and organise each paragraph around one main point, with explanation or an example before moving to the next idea.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “academic syllabus,” “corporate life,” “communication skills” and “bookish knowledge.” These choices help convey your argument, and the reader can generally understand your meaning. However, inaccurate word choice, collocation and spelling reduce precision: “phenomena of wheather” is not an appropriate expression here, “outside from the books” is unnatural, and “furture carrer” and “lenghty” contain spelling errors. Some phrases, such as “the first school of thought,” also sound formulaic in this context. Build accuracy by learning common word partnerships and checking spelling, while choosing straightforward expressions when a more elaborate phrase feels uncertain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple statements and attempts at longer, complex sentences, such as the sentence beginning “Many students are great in their academics but…” This shows some range, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles and punctuation occur across the response. For example, “students should not just confined” needs a passive verb form, and “it can outweighs” has an incorrect verb form after “can.” The opening sentence is also difficult to parse because clauses are joined without clear punctuation. Practise accurate clause construction and modal verb patterns, and proofread for sentence boundaries, articles and subject–verb agreement.

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