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)

Some people believe that greater attention must be given to History, while others argue Science and technology needs more attention. Although History is essential course to study in school as it teaches about their countries past events, Science and technology teaches students to prepare for their future career.

on the one hand, History is a subject that teaches student to learn about their countries past generations and events. Traditional culture can be learn in history by understanding their previous generation's life-style like knowing their lives, routines. Furthermore, History help students learn about the World war and consequences of that war. Therefore it helps Young students to remain peaceful and stay friendly with other countries. For instance, World War 3 caused many separation among countries and some country is still vengeance about the issue.

On the other hand, Science and technology is becoming more popular and influence directly in the modern world. Basic subject from Science such as physics, chemistry, biology provide students to learn everyday situation and understanding of nature. Technological innovations are booming in many industries like health, law, media which creates more career opportunity, Therefore students should focus on more practical experience which prepares them for future career.

Although, History plays a pivotal role in students curriculum as this helps students understand about their country, I Strongly believe Science and technology should be consider as an important subject in students life.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that Science and technology need greater attention, since it is needed for future world than studying about the past events.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding 'World War 3' is factually incorrect and confusing, which weakens the argument for History. The discussion on Science and technology is more relevant but remains somewhat superficial. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, accurate examples and ensure that your arguments are fully extended rather than just stated. The position is consistent throughout the essay, which is a positive aspect.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by grammatical errors. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall progression of ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task, helping to structure the argument effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'technological innovations' and 'pivotal role.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'vengeance about the issue' (should be 'vengeful regarding') and 'teaches about their countries past events' (should be 'teaches about their country's past'). The range is sufficient but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of academic collocations would be beneficial.

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, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'Science and technology needs' instead of 'need') and article usage (e.g., 'the World war'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and refining complex sentence construction will help improve your score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.