Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-25

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 4.0)

Some people think that university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing work placement.Inmind on opinion.I think the advantages of days will surely outweigh the disadvantages, I mean we can deny the fact that there are still a lot of students out there who would rather work than continue studying because they don't want to, But because they'd rather work,save and be able to support their needs than to study and struggle at the same time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You state a position—“the advantages … will surely outweigh the disadvantages”—and begin to introduce a relevant concern: some students need to work and support themselves. However, the response does not explain how studying abroad or completing a placement creates advantages, nor does it develop the disadvantages or compare the two sides. The point about students preferring work is also unclear in its connection to the proposal. The response contains 68 words, below the required 250; 14 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. This leaves the task addressed only minimally. To improve, explain both sides, support your position with a specific example, and reach a clear conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.0

There is a basic attempt to connect ideas: the opening gives your opinion, and “because” introduces a reason. However, the response is only one paragraph and has no clear progression from an introduction through supporting points to a conclusion. The sentence beginning “I think” contains several ideas joined by commas, so the relationship between your view and the point about students who need to work is difficult to follow. “Inmind on opinion” also does not function as a clear linking phrase. Organise the essay into paragraphs, with one main idea in each, and use clear links such as “One advantage is…” and “However…” to show how each point relates to your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant vocabulary, including “undergraduate courses,” “studying abroad,” “advantages,” “disadvantages,” and “support their needs,” so the general topic is recognisable. However, the range is narrow because the response is very short, and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural: “advantages of days” does not clearly express the intended idea, while “Inmind on opinion” is not an understandable phrase. “Work placement” would be more natural as “a work placement” in this context. Develop a wider set of topic-specific terms, such as “gain international experience,” “develop practical skills,” and “living expenses,” and check that each phrase conveys your meaning accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt a complex sentence with “because,” and the reader can identify your broad opinion. However, sentence structures are limited, and punctuation makes the long sentence difficult to process. In “I think the advantages of days will surely outweigh the disadvantages, I mean…,” a comma joins independent clauses; use a full stop or a suitable conjunction. The opening also needs a space after the full stop before “Inmind,” and the final sentence shifts between “students” and “they” without a clearly controlled structure. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas using accurate subordinate clauses. Check sentence boundaries, spacing, and punctuation when proofreading.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.