Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-25
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 commonly argued that in today's world Science and technology should be preferred to be taught in schools rather than history. In my point of view this argument clearly is correct, society needs to move on with the upcoming generations rather than discussing the past with them.
Technology now a days has become a necessity in daily life, normal day starts with checking your mobile phones. This makes it important as a subject to be taught it's merits and demerits to childrens with growing age. Most of the schools have already taken the initiative and have introduced Computer labs and Science labs(Chemistry, Physics and Biology). It is also important to be updated in science as it's a demanded field these days, but science has already been a part of schooling system almost since the start.
However, it is an undeniable fact that History can not be neglected as a subject. It may not be as important as the other two, but it has a substantial worth. It gives children knowledge regarding the world conditions and wars in the previous times. It teaches about the past mistakes and the lesson society learned from it, like what went wrong and how did it effected the country or over all world. It is neccessary for the schooling system to make students acknowledge history facts and stories.
In coclusion history is a neccessary subject in school, although it is not as essential as science and technology. Schooling systems are there to work on the grooming and betterment of the new generation, if they kept on discussing the past mistakes rather than future world problems and solutions, I am afraid the upcoming generation will be left behind.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the importance of science and technology and the enduring value of history, while also providing a clear personal opinion. The writer's position is maintained throughout the essay. However, the ideas are somewhat under-developed, particularly in the body paragraphs where arguments about why science is preferred or why history is valuable lack specific supporting examples or deep elaboration. For instance, the mention of computer labs and science labs is introduced but not tied back robustly to the prompt. This level of development aligns best with Band 6.0, where relevant ideas are presented, but some lack full extension.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, moving logically from an introduction to body paragraphs discussing science, history, and a conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, transitional phrases like 'Technology now a days' and 'In coclusion' exhibit spelling errors ('now a days' instead of nowadays, 'coclusion' instead of conclusion). Furthermore, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as 'it's a demanded field' where the antecedent is slightly loose. Paragraphing is functional, but the progression between ideas could be smoother. These features correspond directly to a Band 6.0 performance.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'necessity', 'merits and demerits', and 'undeniable fact'. However, there are notable lexical and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'childrens' (children), 'neccessary' (necessary), and 'effected' (affected). Word choices such as 'demanded field' rather than 'high-demand field' or 'sought-after field' also show a lack of precision in collocation. Because the errors in spelling and word choice do not impede overall communication, the vocabulary profile fits the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation slips, such as comma splices ('In my point of view this argument clearly is correct, society needs to move on...') and incorrect verb forms ('how did it effected'). There are also missing articles and preposition issues throughout the essay. While the sentences are generally comprehensible, the frequency of grammatical inaccuracies prevents the text from reaching a Band 7.0, making Band 5.5 or a shaky Band 6.0 appropriate. Given that communication is rarely impeded, a Band 6.0 is awarded for a mixed control of simple and complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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