Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-27

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 5.5)

Universities students should spend some time studying abroad or doing some work placement. However it has some difficulties to to to struggle but I believe, its advantages are outweigh the disadvantages.

On the one hand, studying abroad may be challenging for students. The particular reason for these circumstances is studying abroad can be extremely expensive. Students may face homesickness. In addition, they can struggle with different situations while living abroad. To dwell into complexities of individuals can not afford studying abroad with low income background. Conclusively, now studying internationally is a complicated task for every student.

On the other hand, studying internationally can be beneficial for students. One of the particular reason is they can indulge themselves in a new culture that is a great opportunity to learn some new skills and professional knowledge. To illustrate-a clear example of dealing a customer in a field. In addition, they will learn new languages and practical life skills while working in abroad. Resultantly, studying abroad will be beneficial for students.

Conclusively, students may face many complications and they struggle in many fields however, their advantages are outweigh than the disadvantages. I believe, studying internationally can lead students to grow in many different fields that will create further career opportunities in their lives. Additionally, they will be able to understand different challenging tasks in studies. So, graduate courses should be necessary part of university education as it will pave the ways for students to learn skills and improve their knowledge that can be help them in future careers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question and state a position: you believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and your conclusion supports including international study or placements in university education. Relevant disadvantages include expense and homesickness, while benefits include cultural learning, language development and career opportunities. However, the discussion is only partly developed. For example, “dealing a customer in a field” is not explained clearly enough to show what students learn from a placement, and the link between practical skills and future employment remains general. The response also shifts between studying abroad and work placements without fully discussing how each option contributes. Develop each main point with a clear explanation or specific example, and keep your position consistent and precise throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on disadvantages, a paragraph on advantages and a conclusion. The contrast between “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” helps readers follow the two sides, and the final paragraph returns to your opinion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, particularly in “To dwell into complexities of individuals can not afford studying abroad with low income background,” where the relationship between the ideas is difficult to follow. Several transitions, including “In addition,” “Resultantly” and “Conclusively,” feel mechanical or are used where the connection is not fully established. Improve cohesion by arranging each paragraph around one clear point and using pronouns and linking phrases to show how each explanation supports it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “homesickness,” “new culture,” “professional knowledge,” “practical life skills” and “career opportunities.” This gives you a basic range for discussing the topic. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, sometimes making the meaning difficult to understand. Examples include “indulge themselves in a new culture,” “dealing a customer in a field” and “studying internationally.” Repeated use of “beneficial,” “students” and “skills” also limits variety. Aim to learn common academic collocations and choose words that express the intended meaning precisely; for instance, describe students as immersing themselves in another culture and gaining workplace experience.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a contrastive opening (“However…”) and clauses introduced by “while” and “that.” Nevertheless, the range is limited, and errors in sentence construction and verb forms occur often enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “its advantages are outweigh the disadvantages” has an incorrect verb form, while “One of the particular reason is they can…” has a number-agreement error and an awkward clause structure. The sentence beginning “To dwell into complexities…” is also grammatically difficult to interpret. Work on accurate subject–verb agreement, articles and complete clause patterns, then check each sentence for a clear subject and verb. Shorter, controlled sentences will help you communicate your ideas more reliably.

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