Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-31

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)

Every undergrade course of the university should include a courses of time for study abroad or having a work placement. University should have to be more effective and diversified. A period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement has large amount of advantages along with a small range of disadvantages also. I am in the favour of the motion.

Firstly a foreign course could help them with a diversified classroom; with people from different places and tongue. It helps students to learn a new language along with capabilities of cope with diversified people. Moreover, through a foreign study student could learn different culture, which will help them to be culturally diversified. Also build an acceptance quality.

Secondly, a work placement would help them to introduce in a professional environment. A work placement or internship will help them to be ready for the professional engadgement after graduation. Students could learn professional behavior, work-life balance, culture, body language moreover a small introduction of work. That will help them further in their professional life.

There are some disadvantages also. Study abroad is expensive, which all students can not afford. Some students are not suitable for the study in abroad due to their unability to survive out of comfort. They fail to manage themself besides their study, then mess happened. On the other hand not everyone is interested to the work placement after study. Many of the students are willing to stay in the academia or research work. Work placement would not benefits them.

Besides these small amount of disadvantages I strongly prefer a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement for every undergrade students, for their further betterment into professional and social life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction (“I am in the favour of the motion”) and conclusion, and you address both study abroad and work placements, as well as disadvantages. The main benefits—language and cultural learning, and preparation for professional life—are relevant. However, some points are asserted rather than explained: for example, “Also build an acceptance quality” does not clarify what acceptance means or how students develop it. The disadvantages are identified, but the claim that some students are “not suitable” for studying abroad and the point about academic careers would benefit from specific explanation or an example. Develop these ideas more fully and connect them directly to why the advantages outweigh the drawbacks.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two main benefits, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a concluding position. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the argument, and the progression from benefits to drawbacks is logical. This meets the lower-band expectations securely and shows some stronger control through purposeful paragraphing. To make the organisation more fluent, reduce reliance on formulaic transitions and improve links between sentences. For instance, “Moreover,” “Also,” and “That will help them” sometimes create a list-like effect, while “Some students” and “they” could be linked more precisely to the relevant group. Explain how each point supports your overall comparison of advantages and disadvantages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “professional environment,” “internship,” “culturally diversified,” and “academia,” so the reader can understand the main subject matter. However, the range is limited and several noticeable word-choice, collocation, word-form, and spelling errors make parts of the argument awkward or unclear. Examples include “undergrade,” “tongue” for language, “professional engadgement,” and “mess happened.” Phrases such as “large amount of advantages” and “acceptance quality” are also unnatural or imprecise. Aim for accurate, natural combinations rather than more ambitious wording: for example, describe students as developing intercultural awareness or gaining workplace experience. Proofreading spelling and checking collocations would make your ideas easier to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “Study abroad is expensive, which all students can not afford” and a conditional idea about students managing life away from home. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and verb forms sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “A period of time … has large amount” needs an article, while “Also build an acceptance quality” is a fragment without a clear subject. “Work placement would not benefits them” also has incorrect verb agreement. Practise building complete sentences with clear subjects and correctly matched verbs, and check articles and plural forms. More accurate control of these patterns would strengthen your varied sentence attempts.

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

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