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)

It is often argued that tertially school sould include gap year which allows studying abroad or working. This essay will discuss both views, thereafter i will give my opinion.

On one hand, It is good for universities to include activies such as living abroud and having to work befor entering the first year. This is because, leaving your own country to learn from different country can expose a student to different culture and valuable knowledge, for example, a student will how different technology is used or made to apply to lifes situation. Whereas working before university will give a student the freedom of finance, they can utilize this money as upkeep. For instances, this studnet is short of rent money, they can pay using the money earned.

on the other hand, there are some drawbacks, these include language barrier and directing the funds earned to drugs. Most of the people who have travelled abroad have complained of not speaking native language been the challenging part of living in a foreign country, for example it becomes hard to communicate to natives who can not understand english, therefore making it challenginmg to easy access services, In addition, having jobs before university can predispose on the person to drugs or unlawful activities simply because they cant afford it.

In conclusion, while studying abroad and working has some benefits that can equiped one in having some experience before starting tertially school, the negive side is more impactiful as a person can suffer in a foregn land and, also working is just exposing the young adults to money that can be drugs. I firmly believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the question by discussing benefits and drawbacks and state your view clearly in the conclusion: “the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.” However, the response only partially develops the task. The benefits of cultural exposure and earning money are relevant, but the explanation of how these experiences support undergraduate study remains brief. The disadvantages are less convincing: language barriers are explained, while the claim that work may expose young adults to drugs is asserted without a clear link or supporting example. The opening also frames the proposal as a “gap year” before university, whereas the task concerns a period included in undergraduate courses. Clarify this distinction and develop each main point with a specific, plausible example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion that returns to your position. Signposting such as “On one hand,” “on the other hand,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the discussion. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “Whereas working before university” introduces a contrast but does not clearly connect to the preceding point, and “thereafter i will give my opinion” is an awkward preview. The examples sometimes interrupt the flow, and the final paragraph repeats ideas without synthesising them. Use clearer links between each claim and its explanation, and ensure each paragraph develops one central line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “language barrier,” “valuable knowledge,” “native language,” and “unlawful activities.” However, the range is limited and several inaccurate word choices or spellings make parts difficult to understand. Examples include “tertially school,” “activies,” “abroud,” “challenginmg,” and “impactiful.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “freedom of finance,” “directing the funds earned to drugs,” and “easy access services.” Aim for accurate academic collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise wording would help you explain the benefits and risks without relying on broad or confusing expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses beginning “This is because” and “simply because,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “a student will how different technology is used” is missing a verb structure, while “they can utilize this money as upkeep” has an unclear grammatical relationship. There are also problems with sentence boundaries and capitalization, such as the lowercase “on the other hand” after a full stop and the comma splice in the conclusion. Practise building complete clauses and checking agreement, articles, and punctuation before adding complexity.

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