Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 4.5)

It is often argued that all university undergraduate courses should provide an extra length of time spent on abroad study or creating a work placement. I strongly believe this statement that the advantages of this approach outweigh the disadvantages because it leads to help students for their cognitive knowledge and practical knowledge for their further career development.

One of the main benefits of this proposal is that students can gain valuable practical knowledge. Although university lectures provide theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge allows students learning more effective by experiencing in real life situations. To illustrate, A engineering student gets knowledge in theoretically and she may get knowledge in theoretically. On the other hand, a student who practically get into the knowledge she often more effective and clarity on the content. Consequently, I believe that

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You state a clear position in the introduction: you believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and you identify practical and theoretical learning as relevant benefits. However, the response addresses the task only minimally. It does not explain any disadvantages or compare them with the benefits, and the example about an engineering student is repetitive and difficult to follow rather than developed with a specific outcome. The final sentence is unfinished, so the argument has no conclusion. The response also falls short of the required 250 words, leaving too little space to explain and support your position. To improve, discuss both sides, develop a relevant example, and finish with a clear conclusion answering the question.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory paragraph is followed by a paragraph beginning with “One of the main benefits,” and linking expressions such as “Although,” “To illustrate,” and “Consequently” show an effort to connect ideas. However, progression is limited because the example repeats the idea of gaining theoretical knowledge and does not clearly lead to a conclusion. The final phrase, “Consequently, I believe that,” is incomplete and leaves the reader without a finished line of reasoning. The contrast introduced by “On the other hand” is also unclear, since it does not establish a distinct opposing point. Use each paragraph for one developed idea, make references explicit, and complete the argument with a concluding paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “theoretical knowledge,” “practical knowledge,” and “career development,” which helps communicate the general subject. The range is nevertheless limited, and several phrases are inaccurate or awkward enough to make the meaning less clear. For example, “an extra length of time spent on abroad study” and “creating a work placement” do not express the proposal naturally; “abroad study” and “creating” are also unsuitable combinations here. “Cognitive knowledge” is vague in this context, while “get into the knowledge” is not an idiomatic way to describe learning through experience. Build a more precise range around placements and international study, and check collocations so that your vocabulary conveys the intended meaning directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some complex sentence forms, particularly the sentence beginning “Although university lectures provide theoretical knowledge,” and the opening sentence gives a clear general claim. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in sentence construction and verb forms. In “practical knowledge allows students learning,” the verb pattern after “allows” is incorrect; “a student who practically get” has a subject–verb agreement error; and “she may get knowledge in theoretically” is not a complete, well-formed construction. The final clause, “Consequently, I believe that,” is unfinished. Practise accurate patterns such as “allows students to learn” and “students who gain experience,” then proofread each sentence for a complete main clause and correct agreement.

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