Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-04

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 5.0)

A number of people believe that history is one of the most essential school subjects while others claim that subjects like science and technology are most crucial than history in today's world. Although history taught them past experiences and helps them understanding culture, i believe that science and techonolgy subjects provides individuals more opportunities in their and grows country economy.

On the one hand, history is important to add in students curriculum. It helps students understanding the past and help in their social life. For instance, if students studies history of Pakistan, they will know all the struggles of how pakistan came into being as an independent nation. They will learn and understand the mistakes which their leaders have made and how have they overcome those difficulties which they faced. Similarly, they will understand the culture of Pakistan after studying the history. In history students learn the cultural norms and how have they evolved.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You introduce both viewpoints and state a clear preference for science and technology, while the Pakistan example gives relevant support for the value of studying history. However, the response addresses the task only partially: it develops the history argument but does not explain why science and technology are more important, despite claiming they offer “more opportunities” and help the economy. The opinion is therefore asserted rather than supported, and the discussion is incomplete. The response also contains 154 words, below the required 250, so there is not enough development to cover both sides and give a reasoned conclusion. To improve, add a developed paragraph explaining the practical benefits of science and technology, support it with an example, and conclude by comparing the two subjects.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable opening followed by a paragraph about the importance of history, and phrases such as “On the one hand,” “For instance,” and “Similarly” help signal the relationship between ideas. The Pakistan example also follows logically from the point about learning from the past. However, there is no corresponding paragraph for the other viewpoint or a conclusion, so the overall progression stops before the discussion is complete. Within the history paragraph, several sentences repeat the idea that students learn about the past and culture, rather than moving clearly from one distinct point to the next. Develop a balanced sequence—history, science and technology, then your judgement—and use referencing and linking phrases to show how each point advances the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “essential school subjects,” “independent nation,” “struggles,” “cultural norms,” and “evolved.” These choices make the subject matter clear and show some ability to use vocabulary beyond basic terms. However, several word-choice and spelling problems reduce precision: “most crucial than” is an inaccurate comparison, “techonolgy” is misspelled, and “add in students curriculum” is an awkward expression. The phrase “in their” is also left incomplete, making the intended meaning unclear. Aim for accurate collocations and proofread spelling; for example, use “more crucial than,” “include in the curriculum,” and “in their careers.” Expanding the vocabulary used to discuss scientific and economic benefits would also help you express the second viewpoint more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause beginning “Although” and conditional phrasing such as “if students studies history.” The meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in agreement and verb forms occur often enough to limit accuracy. For example, “history taught them … and helps them understanding” shifts tense and uses an incorrect verb pattern; “students studies” should have subject–verb agreement; and “subjects … provides” has a plural subject with a singular verb. There are also problems with articles and sentence punctuation, including the lower-case “i” and “pakistan.” Practise checking each sentence for consistent tense, subject–verb agreement, and verb patterns, such as “helps them understand.” More accurate control of these forms would make your ideas easier to follow.

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