Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

It is often argued that all university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studing abroad or doing a work placement. Some people think it is beneficial whereas, other belives that it is not good. Regardless of these to opinions, My personal prespective is that it is crucial to spend time in studing abroad or doing a work. It has a substantial impact on the health of university learners.

On one hand, Some individual think that it is just wastage of time instead of doing that a student only focus on his studies and secure good grades. In this way, he will made proud his family. If he start to do a job then his focus will distract and he will not got good grades. These are the thoughts of some conservative and aged people of our country.

On the other hand, Some practical people think that a student must do some part time job or should go to study in abroad instead of just wasting his vacations by playing games and hang outs with friends. By doing this they use to the practical world they will already prepared for it. As we know in todays modern world skills and experiences are far more significant than just good grades and marks. A student must know how to handle a situation in practical world or by going to abroad he will experience new culture and explore other oppurtunities. For instance the government of Canada introduce a new course in university in which while studing a student must do some part-time job or internship and gain some experience. It has a good impact on student personality.

In conclusion whereas it has some drawbacks but it is not totally worng. It is very helpful un shaping the personality of our youngsters. As there is a saying, 'Nothing is totally bad or good in this world'.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You give a clear view that overseas study or work experience is valuable, and you address both advantages and disadvantages. The discussion of possible distraction from studies and lower grades is relevant, while the benefits of practical skills, cultural exposure and career preparation are also identified. The example about a Canadian university course helps illustrate your point, although it is presented broadly and would be stronger with a specific detail or explanation of its outcomes. Some ideas, particularly how a placement affects students’ health and why the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, are not fully explained. Develop these links more explicitly so the comparison answers the “outweigh” question with greater depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion. “On one hand” and “On the other hand” make the opposing views easy to follow, and the main position is generally apparent. However, some connections between sentences are abrupt or unclear. For example, “By doing this they use to the practical world they will already prepared for it” combines several ideas without showing their relationship, and the conclusion’s “whereas” construction is incomplete. Referencing also shifts between “a student,” “he” and “they,” which can make the subject less clear. Use clearer sentence-to-sentence links and ensure each paragraph develops one connected line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “practical world,” “skills and experiences,” “conservative” and “explore other opportunities.” This gives you enough language to communicate the main ideas, but the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation and spelling errors are noticeable. Examples include “wastage of time,” “hang outs,” “studing,” “belives” and “oppurtunities.” Some expressions, such as “impact on the health of university learners,” are unclear in context because the essay mainly discusses academic and personal development. Aim for more precise academic phrasing and check spelling carefully; stronger collocations will make your argument easier to understand and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including contrast clauses such as “whereas it has some drawbacks” and conditional reasoning about how work might affect grades. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “he will made proud his family” should use a correct verb form and word order, while “If he start … he will not got” has inconsistent verb forms. The sentence beginning “By doing this” also lacks a clear grammatical connection between its clauses. These errors sometimes make the reader pause, although the overall meaning is usually recoverable. Practise accurate conditional patterns and review each sentence for a complete, well-formed clause.

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