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)
Every person has different way of observing their life. In the undergraduate level there is a considerate number of students who want to engage in interesting subjects other than their major. However some again contemplates that it is essential to give all their time and concentration to pursue their major as they are pursuing that major for a qualification.
It is significant for all the individuals to gain knowledge about some common issues of life. For instance banking, taxing, cooking, cleaning and many more. Students can engage themselves in learning these life saving necessities along with their major. These topics are daily matters of adult life. As these students will step into their adult life just after graduation, therefore it is kind of a necessity to learn about these things.
Some days before I needed to open a fixed deposit for my father as he is old and don't really understand these works nowadays. However I wasn't a very good helper for him in this situation since I didn't know anything about banking. Then I needed to see the manager for extra knowledge and learn about the fixed deposit in a whole new way. If I were brave enough to learn about these basic subjects in my university then I wouldn't have suffer in front of the whole bank.
While other who thinks they should only pursue their major, they are also right. Why should anyone waste their precious time of undergraduate by learning something they will need later in life, they can just simply learn that later in life. However our brain doesn't catch everything as it become senile.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The focus on 'life skills' like banking and cooking is a valid interpretation, but the essay lacks a deeper exploration of the academic context mentioned in the prompt. The conclusion is abrupt and does not fully synthesize the two viewpoints. To reach a higher band, you should ensure that the discussion of 'main subjects' versus 'additional subjects' is more balanced and that your personal opinion is clearly stated in the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition 'However' is used frequently to start sentences, which limits the flow. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the final paragraph where 'While other who thinks' lacks a clear subject. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to express your ideas, but there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing. Phrases like 'observing their life' and 'life saving necessities' are not entirely natural in this context. Additionally, there are some minor errors in word formation, such as 'contemplates' instead of 'contemplate' and 'senile' used incorrectly to describe the brain's capacity. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary to convey your points more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('some again contemplates', 'other who thinks') and article usage. There are also issues with tense consistency and sentence fragments. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, especially subject-verb agreement and pluralization, will help you achieve a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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