Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-12
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)
Earn the knowledge is very important for every student. Some university students want to learn about other subjects instead of their main subject. While others believe it is more important to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. I will discuss both views in the following paragraphs and also give my opinion.
On the one hand, some students who want to learn other subjects instead of their main subject because they thinks that other subjects gave them a useful knowledge who help them in future. Furthermore, other subjects also gave them a communication skills and also they learn about different topics that they did not learned in their main subjects. For example, my brother who was the student of biology so he learned about the other subjects like business and mathematics because he want to keep knowledge about these subjects to helpful in the future.
On the other hand, students who believe it is more important to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification because given all the time and attention on one field make the student qualified in their field. Moreover, they think if a students spend their time and attention to the other subject instead of their main subjects so their academic journey may suffer. In my opinion, students should keep their eyes on main subjects instead of the other subjects because it make him a qualified person in his field.
In conclusion, students should give their full attention to their main subjects instead of other subjects. It also make them a qualified person in their fields.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views and provides a clear opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that learning other subjects provides 'useful knowledge' and 'communication skills', these points are not fully extended with specific, convincing examples. The example of your brother is a good attempt, but it lacks detail regarding how these subjects specifically helped him. The opinion is clear, but the reasoning remains repetitive, focusing primarily on becoming 'qualified' without exploring the broader benefits of a well-rounded education. To improve, aim to provide more depth to your arguments and ensure your examples are more illustrative.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'who help them in future'). The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their intended subjects.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'give all their time and attention' and 'main subjects'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'Earn the knowledge' (instead of 'Acquiring knowledge') and 'useful knowledge who help them' (where 'who' is used incorrectly for an inanimate object). To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('he thinks', 'a students spend'), incorrect verb tenses ('did not learned'), and awkward sentence construction ('my brother who was the student of biology so he learned'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence structure prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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