Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

First of all i want to clarify that i am looking at the advantages as i have positive approach towards every thing. So lets talk about the statement first. Yes i agree that all undergraduate courses must include a period of tme doing a work placement because it has so many advantages and also its the need of time.First and foremost advantage of this is the students can practice the actual work or experience the industry before completion of the degree, on this way they will become more productive and immediately start their work and start earning instead of wasting their time in learning the basic skills.Secondly students will not only learn theory , they will practice it in daily life.It will give them the courage to think wider and meet the standards by applying the theory in work life.Third the students will be able to boost their confidnce by dealing the work on their own. They will get to know how to proceed with the work effectively and become a useful person in the society. For example if a student will learn the marketing before hand .He will be more successful after officially joining the industry and will contribute in the country,s gdp. i want to quote my own example. When i was undergraduate i got the oppertunity to do an internship as an assisstant of Social Welfare Officer in a Rural Commmunity Project.I used to run different compaigns on different social issues.I also used to organize wide social events and seminars .As a result i quickly found a job after the completion of my degree.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is broadly clear: you support including work placements and give relevant benefits, such as gaining practical experience, building confidence and finding employment quickly. The personal example about your internship in a rural community project also helps illustrate your point. However, the task asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and you discuss almost exclusively the benefits. You do not identify or weigh any disadvantages, so this central comparison is only partially addressed. Some claims, such as placements making students “more productive” or contributing to GDP, are asserted rather than explained. To strengthen the response, acknowledge a plausible drawback—such as cost, access or disruption to study—and explain why the benefits still outweigh it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an opening position, several advantages, and a personal example. Signposting such as “First and foremost,” “Secondly,” and “Third” helps readers follow the list of benefits. However, the essay is presented as one long paragraph, so the stages of the argument are not clearly separated. The progression also becomes repetitive, with several points introduced as additional advantages without a developed conclusion or a comparison of both sides. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “on this way” and the transition from general claims to the personal example. Use separate paragraphs for the introduction, main arguments, counterargument and conclusion, and make each paragraph advance the overall judgement.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “work placement,” “industry,” “theory,” “internship,” and “social issues.” These choices make the main ideas understandable, and the example includes useful specific terms such as “Social Welfare Officer” and “seminars.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, including “positive approach towards every thing,” “meet the standards,” and “a useful person in the society.” Spelling errors such as “tme,” “confidnce,” “oppertunity,” and “compaigns” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise academic collocations, and proofread spelling carefully; for example, describe how placements help students “apply theoretical knowledge in a professional setting.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and subordinate clauses, for example, “because it has so many advantages” and “When i was undergraduate i got the oppertunity…”. However, control is inconsistent, and many sentences contain errors in sentence boundaries, articles, verb forms or punctuation. Examples include “When i was undergraduate” (missing an article), “if a student will learn” (an unsuitable future form in this conditional), and the run-on sequence beginning “First and foremost advantage of this is the students can practice…”. Capitalisation and spacing around punctuation are also inconsistent. These problems sometimes make the reader work to follow the meaning. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then build complex sentences with clear clause boundaries and consistent tense.

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