Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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 5.0)

All university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. Following essay will explain both pros and cons of of studying abroad or work placement and will support the positve side.

On the one hand, studying abroad creates challenges like distance from home, friends and food. Staying away from home is one of nightmares for many students. Many students are really attached to their families, they like to be around their families. They believe after being all day out, one should spent rest of the time with family. Food is another hardle, many people have strick rules when it comes to eat and you cannot eat 3 times a day from restaurents. Cooking is not an option for everyone. Leaving friends behind is also an difficult decision, many students are not interested to stay away from friends.

On the other hand, Studying abroad or work placements, provides you with new opportunities of learning, experiencing different cultures, exploring new cities, learning languages and a chance to see different parts of the world. Many individuals argue, one should look around the world and then should decide, what is his dream retirement plan. When you meet different people on work placements and the corporations, you become familiar with enivornment there.

I believe, students should alw

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address both sides of the question and state that you support the advantages, but your position is not completed: the final sentence stops at “I believe, students should alw…”. This leaves the conclusion and your answer to whether advantages outweigh disadvantages unclear. The disadvantages are illustrated through homesickness, family ties, food and friends, while the benefits are mostly listed—cultural experience, languages and career exposure—without explaining their impact or giving a specific example. The response also contains 202 words, below the required 250; 18 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. This shortfall contributes to the limited development. Finish the conclusion and extend key points with explanations or relevant examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph beginning “On the one hand,” a contrasting paragraph, and an attempted conclusion. This helps readers identify the two sides. However, the overall progression is incomplete because the final sentence is cut off, and the body paragraphs mainly present lists rather than developing a connected line of reasoning. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated “Many students” and the formulaic “On the one hand / On the other hand.” The sentence about deciding on a “dream retirement plan” also does not connect clearly to the benefits of undergraduate placements. Develop each paragraph around a central claim, then use explanation and an example to show how each point supports your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “attached to their families,” “different cultures,” “learning languages” and “work placements,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “one of nightmares,” “hardle,” “strick rules,” “eat 3 times a day from restaurents,” and “familiar with enivornment.” Spelling errors are noticeable and reduce the accuracy of the writing. There is also repetition of “students,” “families” and “learning.” Aim for precise, natural phrases and check spelling carefully; for example, describe the practical difficulty of finding suitable food rather than relying on an unclear phrase about restaurant meals.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including “Many students are really attached to their families, they like to be around their families” and a sentence listing several benefits. However, the range remains limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward. Examples include “Following essay will explain,” “one should spent,” “many people are really attached …, they like,” and “an difficult decision.” There are also problems with subject–verb agreement and punctuation, as in “Studying abroad or work placements, provides you,” and the final sentence is incomplete. Practise accurate articles, verb forms and agreement, and avoid joining two complete clauses with only a comma. Proofread each sentence for a complete subject and verb.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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