Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some university students want to learn about other subjects in addition to their main subjects. Others believe it is more important to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. Discuss both these views and give your opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Some university student want to learn subjects in addition to their main subject or other believe focucing on their main in very important In my opinion its important to give their time to main subject but also learning other subjects is more beneficial

on the one todays ongoing debate is some university student wants to learn more subject then only studying their main subject it really helpful for them to learn more skills and secure better job As we know today digital marketing , E- comrece is all over the worls so if a medical student also learn these courses it may really helpfull for them to online skills better Toadys world need many skills to get a job not just degree A student need a good communication , computer, and general skills for example a student who learn english or computer get a good job as compare to student who only know about their field

On the other hand some people think they should only focus to their main subjects this is because today universities are so expensive or middle class parents face difficulties to mange their universties expens if student learn other subject they may lose their intrest or and in return they get low marks As we know unversity is life is so difficult and student need to give more attention to their studies to get a good marks if they get distracted by other activities they may fail in their main subject as deep knowledge is a key to high marks For example their is a medical student wants to learn history and spend more time on learning history as compare to learning their main subjects they may fail their main subject we all know degree is needed for a job

In conclusion , Although focusing only on the main subjects help to get good marks but I believe learning other subjects is more important because it prepare students for real life and jobs

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and give a clear opinion: you acknowledge the value of concentrating on a qualification, but conclude that learning additional subjects better prepares students for work and life. The examples of a medical student learning digital marketing and a student becoming distracted by history are relevant and help explain the two positions. However, some points are asserted rather than fully developed. For instance, the claim that extra courses can help students “secure better job” would be stronger with a clearer explanation of how those skills complement a degree. The argument about university costs is also introduced but not connected fully to why students should focus exclusively on their main subject. Develop these links to make the discussion more balanced and convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. “On the other hand” clearly signals the opposing argument, while “In conclusion” marks the final position. The ideas generally progress from additional skills to the risks of distraction. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear, and the opening sentence is difficult to follow, making the position less easy to identify at first. Within paragraphs, several ideas are joined in long sequences without clear boundaries; for example, the discussion of university costs, loss of interest, and lower marks needs clearer sentence divisions and links. Use topic sentences that state each paragraph’s main point, and make references such as “they” and “these courses” unambiguous.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “qualification,” “communication,” “general skills,” “distracted,” and “deep knowledge.” These choices help convey the main ideas about employability and academic focus. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, spelling, and collocation errors make parts of the response difficult to read, such as “secure better job,” “universities expens,” and “get a good marks.” Some expressions are also imprecise, including “online skills” and “real life and jobs.” Aim to use accurate academic collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise phrases for transferable skills, academic performance, and financial pressure would help express your ideas clearly without relying on repeated general words such as “good” and “important.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if a medical student also learn these courses” and clauses explaining causes and results. This gives the response some variety, but control is inconsistent. There are errors in subject–verb agreement (“a student who learn”), articles and plurals (“a good marks”), and verb forms (“it prepare students”). Some sentences also run together without clear punctuation, particularly in the paragraph beginning “On the other hand,” which makes relationships between ideas harder to follow. Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and finite verb, and divide long sentences where they contain several separate claims. More accurate agreement and sentence boundaries would make your argument easier to understand.

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