Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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)

Nowdays, all university undergratuates courses should include a period of hours allocate learning overseas or get a job placement. this essay will discuss the merits more than demerits in the upcoming paragraphs.

To initiate with, these are several concrete pros of aboad. the first and foremost is, in this continous era, when a person decide to study abroad then they can easily able to know about how to manage the personal and study life as it helps to acquire information about the new things related to their studies. Hence, it enhance their knowledge. Secondly, in this contemporary era, if an individual get a work placement in foreign country then it assist to get a better job in the international firm so that it incline their income and get a superior experience also.Consequently, it assist to employbility.

Moving further, In this time period, most of people selectt to move abroad for study or work so it assist to gain knowledge about the new culture, traditions,rituals,and so on so that it also enhance their personal growth such as better communication skills, gain confidence, and so on. Fortunately, it makes them independent.By contrast, in this present time, numerous individuals move to overseas because of work and study then sometime it impact on the life aslo as the live far away from their family and become streesed and depressed by getting tensed situations in their daily life. Unfortunately, it leads to loneliness.

To conclude, by living in abroad helps to enhance their knowledge and become independent but sometime it creates loneliness.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You take a clear overall position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and you give relevant points about learning, employment, cultural awareness, independence, and loneliness. This addresses the main question, but the discussion is only partly developed: for example, you say overseas study helps students manage personal and academic life, without explaining how this benefit follows or giving a specific example. The employment point is also asserted rather than supported, and the disadvantage is mentioned briefly without weighing its seriousness against the benefits. To strengthen the response, explain each main idea with a reason or example and make the comparison between advantages and disadvantages explicit throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, and the ideas are generally grouped by topic. Linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Moving further,” and “By contrast” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression is not always clear: the second body paragraph combines cultural benefits, personal growth, and the disadvantage of loneliness, so the contrast arrives abruptly. Some transitions are repetitive or do not accurately describe the relationship between ideas, and the conclusion mainly repeats earlier points rather than resolving the comparison. Use one paragraph for the advantages and another for disadvantages, then connect them with clear references and a direct final judgement.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “personal growth,” “communication skills,” “independent,” and “loneliness.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling, word-form, and collocation errors make parts less natural or harder to understand. Examples include “aboad,” “employbility,” “continous era,” and “get a superior experience.” Repeated phrases such as “in this contemporary era” and “in this present time” add little meaning. Aim for accurate, natural combinations and use a wider range of precise terms for the benefits and risks of placements. Proofreading spelling and choosing familiar collocations carefully would make your ideas clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including clauses with “when,” “if,” and “because,” but complex structures are often faulty and errors occur frequently. For example, “when a person decide … they can easily able to know” has problems with agreement and verb construction, while “it assist to get a better job” lacks correct subject–verb agreement and an appropriate infinitive pattern. Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “in foreign country” and the lower-case sentence openings after full stops. These errors sometimes make the intended relationships difficult to follow. Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a subordinate clause, then check agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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