Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say History is one of the most important school subjects. Other people think that in today’s world subjects like Science and technology are more important than History.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant example form your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

There is a vast variety of subjects taught in schools. Every subject has its own essence which builds a foundation of a strong future for every student. From learning and studying about what happened in the past in the history subject to learning and experimenting in science and tech labs about the future, every student finds his or her interest. These subjects are essential for the foundations of developing a strong future or career for the individual.

Some people say History is one of the most important school subjects. Other people think that in today’s world subjects like Science and technology are more important than History. From my point of view, I'd say both are the subjects are equally and crucially important that should be taught in schools. Reading and gaining knowledge about something that happened in the past gives information abut how that event happened, how things usually happened and what was done. Having a knowledge about these things in the present are important because we can learn alot from historical events and history. Likewise science and technology are as important than any other subject. Especiallly in today's modern world, these two subjects are gaining alot of attention. Therefore, keeping all the subjects is essential.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You introduce the topic and state a position: “both are ... equally ... important,” so the reader can identify your view. You also give a relevant reason for studying History, explaining that past events can teach us how things happened and what was done. However, the discussion of Science and technology is only briefly asserted: saying they are “gaining a lot of attention” does not explain their importance or provide an example. The response therefore addresses the task only partially, with ideas limited and under-developed. It is also 73 words below the 250-word minimum; the 30 words copied from the task prompt are not counted. Develop both sides with specific reasons and examples, then make your conclusion clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: a general introduction, the question and your opinion, then brief comments on History and Science and technology. Linking expressions such as “Likewise” and “Therefore” help signal relationships between ideas. However, the overall progression is limited because the two viewpoints are not developed in separate, clearly focused paragraphs, and the final sentence does not fully conclude the discussion. Some connections are also unclear, particularly “Having a knowledge about these things in the present,” which makes the link between historical learning and present-day benefits difficult to follow. Organise the response into an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion, using references and transitions that make each idea’s relationship explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “historical events,” “foundation,” “experimenting,” and “modern world,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There are also attempts at less common phrasing, such as “vast variety” and “gaining a lot of attention.” However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “every subject has its own essence,” “strong future,” and “keeping all the subjects.” Repetition of “important” and “subjects” also limits the range. Spelling errors such as “abut,” “alot,” and “Especiallly” reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise academic collocations, and proofread spelling; for example, explain that History “develops an understanding of the past” and that Science “supports technological innovation.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the opening construction “From learning ... to learning and experimenting ...,” and most of the message remains understandable. However, some sentence structures are faulty or awkward. In “I'd say both are the subjects are equally ... important,” the repeated verb structure makes the sentence ungrammatical; write “both subjects are equally important.” “Having a knowledge about these things in the present are important” has a subject–verb agreement problem and an unclear grammatical construction. The sentence beginning “From learning and studying ...” is also a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Use complete, controlled sentences and check agreement, articles, and clause structure, while retaining a mix of simple and complex forms.

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