Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-23

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)

"Nowadays, human beings are living in the era of technology and advancement. Mostly individuals focus on studying science and technology so that they may compete according to future needs, while some believe that history is the main subject in school to tell the pupils about what happened in history, which may be helpful for them. I shall discuss both views, and I put in my own opinion.

Proponents of history believe that studying history at school creates awareness in students about critical thinking as well as cultural values. By studying past civilization, pupils gain knowledge about inventions in the past but also know how changes occurred in many fields of life. To strengthen their argument, they cite the example of civilization in Egypt, where every point of its culture makes a way for modern innovation. The construction of pyramids of Giza is still a question mark in modern science, but by ideas from this civilization, human beings built skyscrapers and many inventions now.

On the other hand, a group believes that studying science and technology subjects is of greater importance than history to engage the school-going children to know about modern equipment used in daily life. Additionally, studying subjects like technology is crucial importance, as now we are living in an era of innovation where 2/3 of the population have access to mobile and internet. Furthermore, by studying science, students' technical as well as logical thinking improve, which will be helpful in the future, especially in the AI field.

In my point of view, for larger prespective studying science and technology subjects is better than history to create a better future for the current generation to connect with the needs of people in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of cultural values for history and technical skills for science. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the pyramids of Giza is a bit tenuous and lacks a clear logical link to modern innovation. The conclusion is also quite brief and could have been better supported by summarizing the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explained with more depth and clarity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'every point of its culture makes a way for modern innovation'. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'proponents', 'civilization', and 'innovation'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'crucial importance' (should be 'of crucial importance') and 'for larger prespective' (should be 'from a broader perspective'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of the argument. Expanding the range of academic collocations would help elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'Mostly individuals focus' (should be 'Most individuals'), 'studying history... creates awareness in students about critical thinking' (awkward phrasing), and 'students' technical as well as logical thinking improve' (should be 'improves'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor slips throughout. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and more accurate use of prepositions and articles to ensure a higher level of grammatical control.

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