Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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)

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

According to me undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement because it helps them to explore new place as well as culture also refreshes their mind futhermore helps them to explore the world more effeciently also develops new ideas also, exploring the world offer them oppurtunities to explore new ideas as well as new culture it also promotes migration furthermore makes them independent to handle their expenditures. While working in their hometown offers them several advantages for instance walking distance jobs also helps us to know about facilities of our hometown in terms of education and jobs, while studying in abroad teaches us to follow rules and regulations also enhances migration also offers better career option

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You take a position in favour of including overseas study or work placements, and you mention relevant potential benefits, such as cultural exposure, independence and improved career opportunities. However, the response does not fully answer whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages: it gives little explanation of the disadvantages and does not compare the two sides. Several points, including “promotes migration” and “better career option,” are asserted rather than explained or supported with examples. The response is also substantially below the required 250 words: it contains 109 words, with 34 words copied from the prompt excluded. Develop a clear comparison, explain each main point, and add relevant examples to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response has a recognisable overall direction: it first supports overseas study or placements, then contrasts these with some benefits of working in one’s hometown. This gives the reader a basic sense of the topic. However, the ideas are crowded into one long paragraph, with little clear progression or separation between points. Linking words such as “also” and “furthermore” are repeated, and the shift introduced by “While” does not lead to a developed comparison. Some connections are difficult to follow, particularly the sequence from exploring new cultures to migration and independence. Use separate paragraphs for your position, advantages, disadvantages and conclusion, and connect each point with clear, varied transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use a small set of relevant topic words, including “culture,” “independent,” “expenditures,” “facilities” and “career option,” so the main subject is generally understandable. There are also attempts to express ideas beyond basic personal experience. However, vocabulary is repetitive, especially “explore” and “also,” and some phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “promotes migration,” “walking distance jobs” and “enhances migration.” Spelling errors—including “futhermore,” “effeciently” and “oppurtunities”—are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Build a wider range of precise expressions for educational and employment benefits, and check spelling and collocations carefully. For example, describe gaining “international experience” rather than simply “exploring the world.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to combine several ideas using clauses and linking expressions, and the reader can usually identify the intended meaning. However, most of the writing relies on long, loosely connected sentence structures, so grammatical relationships are often unclear. For example, “exploring the world offer them opportunities” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “it helps them to explore new place” has an article and plural-form problem. The sentence beginning “According to me” continues through many ideas without clear sentence boundaries, and punctuation is insufficient. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then combine related ideas using accurate clauses. Check agreement, articles, plurals and punctuation when editing.

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