Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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)

It is often argued that a number of people believe that every university undergraduate courses must be included a period of time to spend studying overseas or doing a work placement. In my opinion, I think that it is more beneficial to study aborad or do a work placement rather than disadvantages.

To begin with, there are several beneftis of why university education must require a period of time spent studying abroad as well as doing a work placement. First and foremost, it has gain practical knowledge because overseas's education is very well and depandable as well. For example, certain students who complete their courses in their own university, if they get abroad studies, definetely they may gain practical skills. As a result, they have became more experienceable workers and easily would get better jobs.

In addtion, another most significant benefit is that when many people go abroad for completing their university courses, they have spent quality time with another nations and learn face-to-face communication with strengers. For instance, after their university courses, if they would go abraod for spending quality time with another nation's person, they may improve their communication skills as well as learn different cultures. Therefore, they may learn more experience from different sources and more likely to get better opportunities.

In conclusion, despite having some disadvantages of this trend, I consider that it has a lot of benefits of spending some period of time studying overseas and doing a work placement. I think that if a worker gain better experience, they will move abroad and communicate different people.

AI examiner evaluation

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

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear overall preference for including overseas study or work placements, and the two body paragraphs offer relevant benefits: practical skills and communication across cultures. However, the response addresses the question only partially because it does not explain the disadvantages or directly weigh them against the benefits, despite mentioning them in the introduction and conclusion. Several supporting points are also under-developed or unclear. For example, the claim that overseas education is “very well and dependable” is not explained, and the examples remain hypothetical rather than showing how a placement or study period produces a specific outcome. To strengthen the response, state your position precisely and develop a comparison, such as acknowledging costs or disruption before explaining why the long-term career and personal gains outweigh them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “To begin with” and “In addition,” and a conclusion. This helps the reader identify the main points. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because ideas are repeated or linked mechanically. In the second body paragraph, for instance, the example largely restates the point about communication and cultural learning rather than adding a distinct illustration. The conclusion also introduces the idea that workers “will move abroad,” which is not clearly connected to the argument developed earlier. Use linking phrases more selectively, and make each example extend the paragraph’s main claim. Clearer references between claims and explanations would make the overall progression more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “practical skills,” “communication skills,” “different cultures,” and “better opportunities,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling, word-form, and collocation errors make the writing less clear or natural. Examples include “aborad,” “beneftis,” “depandable,” and “experienceable workers.” Phrases such as “overseas’s education” and “quality time with another nations” are also awkward choices for the intended meaning. Build a more accurate set of expressions for education, employment, and cultural exchange, and check spelling carefully. More precise wording would help you explain benefits and disadvantages without relying repeatedly on “better” and “experience.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if they get abroad studies” and clauses beginning with “when.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and frequent errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction can make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “every university undergraduate courses must be included” has an incorrect passive construction and agreement, while “they have became” uses the wrong verb form. In “if they would go abroad,” the conditional structure is also not controlled. Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a clearly formed subordinate clause, then check subject–verb agreement and verb forms. Greater accuracy in these patterns would make your argument easier to understand.

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