Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

every student works hard during there undergrad and face lots of challenges during that hard peiod.every student has there own battles to face which nobody knows about.students do struggle study hard to get a good job and settle there financial issues so it there right to get a work placement during there undergrad to afford there studies and financial problems on there own.this can ease there life a little more and will add some exprience in there resume but sometimes when students do work during there undergrad they are not able to focus on there studies so well the way they should do this could be the major problem sometimes.if you dont focus on studies and doing work to earn money this could be the bigger distraction in your studies and good grades.to face such issues mostly students pause there semeters and sometimes they take loans and pays them after completing there degree and doing job but very hard task to face and to live your life wth such bigger issues it could lead students to the depression and anxiety they can face mental problems while removing financial problems.student life i more complicated then it seems to normal people they face every trauma including there academic trauma but people dont see it they dont even support they just crticise everyone and demotivate them.so the thing is there always positive and negative points in every situation and that person who is going through it knows the most that how hard it is to face them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You recognise relevant issues, including the possible benefit of gaining work experience and the risk that employment may distract from study. However, the response does not clearly answer the central question of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and it shifts mainly to students’ financial hardship and mental health. The prompt also asks about studying abroad as well as work placements, but studying abroad is not discussed. Ideas such as gaining experience and taking loans are mentioned without specific explanation or examples, so the position remains difficult to identify. To strengthen the response, state your view directly in the introduction and conclusion, address both options in the prompt, and develop each main reason with a clear example or explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response contains a sequence of related concerns, moving from financial pressure to work experience, study distraction, loans, and mental health. This gives the reader some sense of the topic, but the ideas are not arranged into a clear argument. The entire response is one long paragraph, and there is no distinct introduction, body structure, or conclusion that answers the question. Connections such as “but sometimes” and “so” are used, yet the extended chain of ideas makes relationships between points unclear and repetitive. Organise the essay into paragraphs, with one central idea in each, and use linking phrases to show contrast, cause, and consequence. A final paragraph should summarise your position on whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “work placement,” “experience,” “financial issues,” “distraction,” and “depression and anxiety.” These choices make the general subject understandable. However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, particularly “students,” “face,” “hard,” and “problems.” Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “settle there financial issues,” “bigger distraction,” and “removing financial problems.” Spelling errors, including “peiod,” “exprience,” and “sem eters,” also reduce clarity and control. Build a more precise set of terms for education and employment, and check spelling and collocations. For example, describe how placements “provide practical experience” or “help students meet living costs.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect several ideas in longer sentences, using forms such as “when students do work during there undergrad” and “if you dont focus on studies.” However, these extended sentences are often difficult to follow because punctuation is missing and clauses are joined without clear boundaries. There are frequent errors in basic sentence structure and agreement, for example “every student works … and face,” “it there right,” and “they take loans and pays them.” Articles and possessives are also often missing or incorrect, as in “during there undergrad” and “focus on studies.” Use shorter, complete sentences first, then add a few controlled complex sentences. Check subject–verb agreement, possessive forms, and sentence boundaries during proofreading.

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

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