Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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)

All University undergraduate cources should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.

I am agree with this statement that all university undergratuate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. There were many advantages of doing this if all university undergratuate were on the time table like two days classes in week its very benificial for the abroad students they can do more work to meet thier expenses because, Abroad students have to work alot to meet their daily exoenses they also have to pay their university fee for all this they need more opportunities for a work. And University have to gave their abroad students job opportunities during study so they can easily meet their expenses and do good studies.

And on the ather side there were few disadvantages also for university undergratuate courses. If university allow the students work placement most of the students lose thier interest in studies. They will start focus on the work the cannot pay good heed to th studies. And if university allow more hours for work. study hours will decrease which is not good for the students. Students lose interest in studies because, They started earning and living good life which is not good for them. Thats why most of the university allow their students to work only 20 hours in a week So, the student can pay good heed to their studies not in work. And in holidays university allow their abroad students to do full time work.

In conclusion, there were many advantages and disadvantages or all university undergratuate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing work placement, everyone have their own opinion but I personally, Agree with the statement students need to start work during undergratuate courses to meet their expenses.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a personal position in the introduction and conclusion, and you mention both potential benefits and drawbacks. However, the response does not fully address the specific proposal: the task is about a required period of study abroad or a work placement, while most of your discussion concerns international students working to pay their expenses. This makes the main argument only partly relevant. The disadvantage that students may lose focus on study is relevant, but it is asserted rather than supported with a clear example or explanation. The conclusion repeats your preference for students working, rather than clearly weighing the advantages of the proposed course requirement against its disadvantages. Develop relevant reasons on both sides and explain why one outweighs the other.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an introduction, a paragraph presenting benefits, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion, so the reader can identify its broad structure. You also use basic signposts such as “And on the other side” and “In conclusion.” However, progression within paragraphs is difficult to follow: the first paragraph moves from timetable arrangements to overseas students’ expenses and university job opportunities without clearly connecting these points to study abroad or placements. Several ideas are joined in long sentences, and repeated use of “And” and “because” makes the links feel mechanical. Improve cohesion by giving each paragraph one clear central point, using shorter sentences, and explaining how each example supports your argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “work placement,” “expenses,” “opportunities,” and “disadvantages,” which helps communicate the general subject. However, the range is basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on “students,” “work,” and “studies.” Spelling errors such as “cources,” “undergratuate,” “benificial,” and “thier” are noticeable, and some expressions are not natural in this context, including “pay good heed” and “living good life.” These choices sometimes make the intended meaning less clear. Build a more precise vocabulary for the actual topic, such as “gain practical experience,” “develop independence,” and “academic performance,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to express reasons and contrast, but sentence structures are mostly simple or joined into long, faulty sentences. Errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “I am agree” has an incorrect verb form, while “There were many advantages … if all university undergratuate were on the time table” has problems with tense, agreement, and sentence construction. In “They will start focus on the work,” the verb pattern is incorrect, and “everyone have their own opinion” shows an agreement error. Punctuation is also inconsistent, especially where commas join complete ideas. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then add controlled clauses using “because,” “although,” and “if”; check verb forms, agreement, and sentence boundaries.

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