Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-01

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)

It is widely argued that History is more important subject compared to subject like Science and technology. I firmly disagree with this viewpoint. As History plays a vital role in guiding us to avoid the repetition of the past mistakes, which can have far consequences for humanity.

To begin with, history plays an important role in children's education because it helps them understand how societies have developed over the time. By learning about previous wars, political events, and social changes, students can understand the reasons behind many of the circumstances they experience today. In addition, studying historical mistakes helps younger generations to avoid repeating the same in the future. For example, learning about major conflicts can understand the serious consequences of political disagreements which encourage people to value peace. Therefore, history can help to develop a stronger sense of cultural identity and understand the tradition of their own nation.

On the other hand, science and technology are important in this contemporary world. Having scientific knowledge is essential for climate change and diseases. Moreover, better technological skills can provide career opportunities as it required a better knowledge of computers, artificial intelligence and other technologies. As this field continues to develop, students who are familiar with these areas are more likely to adapt this things quickly in the future. As a result, giving greater importance to this subjects can prepare them for better career and enable them to contribute to society.

In conclusion, history is as important school subject because it teaches students about the past and helps them to understand their own cultural and society. Although, science and technology are also attend greater attention as these are directly connected to future career opportunities, technological process and the challenges faces in the modern era.

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 uneven. While the importance of history is discussed, the argument regarding science and technology is more descriptive than analytical. The introduction contains a sentence fragment ('As History plays a vital role...'), which slightly weakens the presentation of the position. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph provides a more balanced exploration of the 'why' behind the importance of these subjects, rather than just listing their benefits. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and could more effectively synthesize the main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'learning about major conflicts can understand the serious consequences', where the subject of the verb is ambiguous. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'contemporary world', 'artificial intelligence', and 'cultural identity'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'adapt this things' (should be 'adapt to these things') and 'attend greater attention' (should be 'receive greater attention'). The range is sufficient for the task, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed for a higher 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, particularly with articles ('a important school subject'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence fragments. For instance, the opening paragraph contains a dependent clause punctuated as a full sentence. While these errors do not prevent communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. More attention to proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and sentence completeness would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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