Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-16

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)

While some university students argues that it's most important to learn more about other subjects rather than just focusing on one main subject. Whereas some thinks that it's good for ourselves to utilize most of our time on relying on one subject and get good grades for future jobs. In my opinion both these views are right in some essence.

There are some reasons to support both these views.

To start with first reason if students learn more subjects with one main subjects to enhance their knowledge that can helps them in many fields either in present or in future. Secondly, focusing on just one subject creates boredom to some extent and students cannot concentrates the same all the time. If they are interested in learning other subjects its necessary that they are related to main subject. Institutions must provides the combination of such subjects that are helpful for students among every level in future.

Turning to second point of view there are also some reasons behind this. Firstly, as most of jobs in our country depends mostly on grades rather than skills. Nowadays the number of private institute increased and they totally focus on grades compared to taught new helpful skills. So students in their early education learn to focus on grades that continue in their higher education. Also in society who got excellent marks in exams considered the most intelligent whether their concepts were clear or not.

In conclusion, focus to learn new subjects with main subjects is a good practice to some extent if they based on learning new things. Whereas spend most of their time on one subject also good practice for achieving good grades that are helpful in future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both views and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that learning other subjects enhances knowledge and that focusing on one subject helps with grades, these points are not fully extended with concrete examples or deeper analysis. The arguments remain at a general level. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a clear, well-supported argument that directly links back to the prompt's core tension between breadth and depth of study.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by mechanical or repetitive transitions. Some sentences are fragmented, such as the opening, which lacks a main clause, making the progression of ideas feel slightly disjointed. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would help the reader follow your argument more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'qualification', 'higher education', and 'concepts'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward word choice, such as 'utilize most of our time on relying on one subject' and 'institutions must provides'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to express your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'students argues', 'some thinks', 'institutions must provides') and sentence fragments (e.g., the first paragraph consists of dependent clauses). While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in basic grammar prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb will significantly improve your score.

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