Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-13

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)

Today in various universities there is an ongoin debate prevalen among students, there are who believe that they should study other modules in addition to their main subjects, while others argue that it more vital to focus and give their time only for qualification without disturbing themselves. From my perspective, we cannot compel students to study subjects they did'not choose.

On one hand, many students argue that student at universities have the potential to study different subject no matter their field. For example, if they study a sientific field this dose'nt mean that they cannot study history or geography in addition to maths and physics, and the contrast. Moreover, students at universities should have the general knowledge about different subjects for different reasons, especially because it can be helpful in the future if they think about changing their career.

On the other hand, other students believe that they should allocate their time and their attention only for their main subjects and for a qualification, and what a person study in the university is a personal decison, and if someone choose to study languages in the university we cannot force hime to study and resolve mathimathic problems, or if someone choose to study physic we cannot force hime to study history. Furthermore, adding unimportant subject can have an adverse effect on students and their performance, and can disrupt their concentration on their main subjects.

In summary, there many students believe that they should be exposure to different subjects, while othere argue that they should study for qualification and focus only on their main subjects. In my opinion, each student should focus only on what he already choose and we cannot compel students to study what they didn't choose.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and state a clear preference: students should not be compelled to study subjects they did not choose. The examples about science students taking history and students changing careers are relevant to the debate. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The benefits of broader study are asserted rather than explained in detail, and the opposing case mainly repeats that students should focus on their chosen qualification. The claim that additional subjects are “unimportant” is also not supported, despite the earlier argument that general knowledge can help students. To strengthen the response, explain the practical value of studying beyond a major and acknowledge when a limited number of complementary subjects might be useful, before justifying your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In summary” help readers identify the stages of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is limited, and several points are joined into long, repetitive sentences, particularly in the paragraph beginning “On the other hand.” The conclusion largely repeats the introduction rather than drawing the discussion together. Some references are also unclear, such as “and the contrast,” which makes the comparison difficult to follow. Use shorter sentences to separate claims and explanations, and make each paragraph develop one main point in a clear sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “allocate their time,” “general knowledge,” “career,” and “adverse effect.” However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors make the writing less clear or natural. Examples include “ongoing debate prevalent,” “study different subject,” “resolve mathematic problems,” and “exposure to different subjects.” There are also repeated references to “subjects,” “study,” and “focus,” with few precise alternatives. Build a bank of accurate academic phrases for discussing course choices and educational outcomes, and check spelling carefully. Prefer natural combinations such as “broaden their knowledge,” “concentrate on their degree,” and “affect academic performance.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to use complex sentences, including conditional examples and clauses linked with “while,” “because,” and “if.” However, these structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to process. For example, “there are who believe” lacks a clear grammatical construction, while “if someone choose” and “what a person study” have subject–verb agreement errors. The sentence beginning “On the other hand” also runs several ideas together without clear sentence boundaries. Practise forming accurate clauses before combining them: check subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb forms, and use full stops to control sentence length. More reliable simple sentences alongside carefully checked complex ones would improve clarity.

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