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: it discusses both views and provides 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 slightly less detailed than the supporting view. To reach a higher band, ensure that the counter-argument is explored with the same depth as your own position. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points while reiterating the stance.

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 repetitive or mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother in the second paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, though some minor improvements in the use of linking words would enhance the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication of ideas. You use some topic-specific terms like 'career development', 'technical expertise', and 'interpersonal skills'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'practical life' (instead of 'professional life') and 'effect their degree scores' (where 'affect' is the correct verb). The range of vocabulary is sufficient but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Focusing on more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help improve this 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, particularly with subject-verb agreement and word forms (e.g., 'their can be' instead of 'there can be', 'migh effect' instead of 'might affect', and 'leaderships' instead of 'leadership'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor slips throughout. The majority of sentences are understandable, but the frequency of these small errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy will be beneficial.

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