Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-24

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 7.0)

Some university students want to learn about some other subjects in addition to their main subjects of their degree program. Others believe it is more important for students to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. I believe their can be both negative and positive aspects of both views but in my opinion students should give time to other subjects too apart from their main subjects.

I agree with the point of view of students having interest to other subjects alongwith their main subjects. I also graduated from a university in engineering but we did have some subjects like communication, leadership skills and entrepreneurship and business development. These kind of subjects help students a lot in shaping their whole personality and making them ready for the practical life they would have after university. In fact just focusing on main subjects will not ensure proper career development of students as such students will face hardships in their jobs or businesses as they would lack the basic required skills like leadership, teamwork, entrepreneurship. Business and entrepreneurship skills will help them to scale their startups alongwith their technical expertise. I remember I started taking such side courses seriously after 2nd year when I faced reality while doing internship that only technical expertise alone do not matter much. You need to have the interpersonel skills polished too. I started participating in international and national volunteering projects where I had to practice my leaderships and teamwork skills I learnt from my "other subjects" in university.

The other point of view also have its reason like the students should only focus on their main degree subjects as if they don't, their focus might get offtrack and they migh effect their degree scores which would ultimately have to help them land secure jobs. That will narrow down the job opportunities if they would have less scores in their degree.

In conclusion, students should target other subjects too apart from their main degree subjects as it would help them shape their whole personality. Some students who believe they should only focus on their main degree subjects do not want to shift their focus from main subjects which might effect their scores.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and supported by personal experience, such as the mention of engineering studies and internships. However, the development of the opposing view is somewhat limited compared to the main argument. While the position is consistent, the explanation of why some students might prioritize only their main subjects could be more deeply explored to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-focused and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'In fact', 'The other point of view', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there is occasional repetition of phrases like 'main subjects' and 'degree subjects'. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, though the connection between the personal anecdote and the broader argument could be tightened to improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'career development', 'interpersonal skills', and 'technical expertise'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'practical life' instead of 'professional life' or 'workplace'. The repetition of basic terms like 'subjects' and 'students' suggests a need for more varied synonyms to demonstrate a wider lexical range and achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I believe their can be' (should be 'there'), 'interest to other subjects' (should be 'interest in'), and 'migh effect' (should be 'might affect'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor issues with article usage and verb agreement. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication, and the student demonstrates a reasonable command of complex structures, even if they are not always perfectly executed.

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