Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-02
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)
Each college bachelor subjects ought to comprises a time period for foriegn studies or work in a professional role as a part of degree.This essay will discuss both views before presenting my view that this approach have distinct advantages.
On the one hand, There are numerous benefits of the foriegn study visits and the design of the practical work conditions which could be incorporated in the university courses for a stretch of time.These approaches provide students direct benefits by increasing their knowledge about their field of study and also it helps them to experience real woking conditions.Because of the other countries tours, they get a chance of exploration of various working practices and procedures.This can ultimately have affect on their creativity, because they think innovatively and their vision become broader.Also spending time in other countries enables them to communicate efficiently with diverse variety of people belongs to different geographical regions.For instance, most of the pakistani students perform excellent research work in foriegn countries, due to the availability of modern and fastest, tools and equipments.Therefore these practices considered fruitfull.
On the other hand, There are some drawbacks of this approach.Most of the students after returning from the abroad find it difficult to continue their studies in their own country.Because they are adopted to that environment,they experienced good and fast technologies like buses and trains while their stay,also in developing countries research instruments are outdated.These situations cause alot of stress among them.
In conclusion, I think advantages like better study and exploration of different regions outweigh the disadvatange of the study abroad and working experience.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You address both sides of the question and state a clear view: the introduction says the approach has “distinct advantages,” and the conclusion says these outweigh the disadvantages. Your benefits—field knowledge, exposure to working conditions, creativity and communication—are relevant. The example about Pakistani students and research tools also supports the discussion, although it is broad and its connection to required placements could be explained more clearly. The disadvantage paragraph identifies difficulty readjusting after returning home and contrasts access to technology, but it does not fully explain how this affects students’ studies or why it outweighs the benefits for some. Develop this point and explain more directly why the advantages are greater overall.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the overall direction easy to follow. However, some links are mechanical, and the reasoning within paragraphs is not always clearly connected. For example, the move from broader vision to communication is abrupt, while “Because of the other countries tours” does not clearly connect the preceding claim to the next one. The disadvantage paragraph also strings together several points without showing their relationship. Use clearer topic sentences and link each example explicitly to the claim it supports; check that pronouns such as “these situations” have an unmistakable reference.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You attempt vocabulary suited to the topic, including “working practices,” “creativity,” “diverse variety,” and “research instruments.” This gives you some range beyond basic everyday language. However, inaccurate word choice, collocation and spelling are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less precise: “foriegn studies,” “real woking conditions,” “fastest tools,” and “fruitfull” are examples. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “the design of the practical work conditions” and “good and fast technologies.” Aim for accurate, natural combinations rather than adding complex-sounding wording. Learn topic phrases such as “study abroad,” “gain practical experience,” and “access to modern equipment,” and proofread spelling carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a reason clause beginning “Because” and a sentence explaining how international experience may affect creativity. However, control is uneven, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles and sentence boundaries recur. For example, “subjects ought to comprises” has incorrect agreement and verb form, while “this approach have” should use a singular verb. “Their vision become broader” also needs agreement, and several sentences beginning with “Because” are fragments rather than complete sentences. Punctuation and spacing around sentence boundaries are inconsistent. Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and finite verb, and review agreement and article use while retaining your attempts at complex structures.
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