Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-13

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)

Universities taught programs to the student in which he enrolled nevertheless there are some programs and courses which are offered by institue to the pupils to enhance and improve their skills .Universities are right on their behalf because these additional course polished the student's hidden talent and brighten their skills

However there are also some universities which engaged student in extra curricular activities and courses of different languages like persian , french and german . These are helpfull when student also wants to engage in these courses. If any student does not wants to engage these extra activites universities should not forced one to attend these lectures .

If universities are doing this they are destroying the mental peace of the student and compelled the student to bunk the classes from these specific courses . Besides this university had to only deliver the lectures of those courses which are relevant to their further studies of the student .

For instance in my university professors compelled to enroll in specific language courses which is quite disturbing to numerous people as a consequence of their act many students bunk the classes and passed the exam by cheating and many other false methods .

In my prespective universities have to take the concern of students and then arranged the classes of further irrelevant courses . If student are not willing university should not innitiate the irrelevant courses and should focus mainly on that courses which are mainly relevant to their studies . By doing this the grades of student automatically increases alongside universitie's repotation and worth .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. While you mention that extra courses can 'polish hidden talent,' the argument against them focuses heavily on the negative consequence of 'bunking classes' rather than exploring the academic or professional benefits of a focused curriculum versus a broad one. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced reasons for why a student might prefer to focus solely on their qualification, such as the need for deep subject mastery or time management pressures, rather than focusing on student misconduct.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow between sentences is often disjointed. Transitions are sometimes used incorrectly or are too simplistic, such as 'Universities are right on their behalf' or 'Besides this.' The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of your argument. While there is a basic structure, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. Improving the use of linking words like 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'in contrast' would help create a smoother, more professional flow between your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'compelled the student to bunk the classes' and 'take the concern of students.' Additionally, there are spelling errors like 'institue,' 'helpfull,' and 'prespective.' You rely on basic vocabulary and struggle to incorporate less common lexical items effectively. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and ensuring that your word choices are contextually appropriate for a formal essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'universities should not forced'), incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'universities taught programs'), and missing articles. The sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting complexity. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. To improve, you should focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring consistent verb tense usage, and proofreading for common errors like pluralisation and article usage. A wider range of error-free complex structures is needed to move beyond a band 5.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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