Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-17

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 6.0)

It is argued that some undergraduates should broaden their horizons by studying other subjects besides the main ones, whereas others think solely paying attention to achieve a qualification is more crucial. From my perspective, I view the former option as a much more beneficial choice for them.

There are several reasons why university students should devote significant effort to concentrate on their study field. Firstly, if someone paid their major time and attention to their chosen field, there would be no doubt about their great expertise and career prospects. This is because delving deeply into what they are studying could give them a profound understanding and mastery. Although specialized knowledge may lead you to become an expert, knowing only one field can also unfortunately limit your career opportunities.

On the other hand, prioritizing learning more subjects is also essential and compelling simply because it would bring many positive advantages. Instead of the specialization, other subjects also play a vital role as it can foster interdisciplinary thinking and problem-solving. Obviously, education are absolutely diverse, which also means exploring more disciplines is a good way to satisfy a sense of curiosity and gain more knowledge. Additionally, studying other subjects can provide undergraduates a rich education that gives them transferable skills when they need to adapt rapidly to change a job.

In conclusion, even though both views for university students to study are appropriate and truly assist students in having a fulfilling job, I do think learning extra subjects is still very important.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal position. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of specialization versus the advantages of interdisciplinary learning. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'career prospects' is mentioned but not fully explored with specific examples or deeper analysis. The conclusion is also quite brief and could have been used to better synthesize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported by more detailed explanations or concrete examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two opposing views. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of specialization and the drawbacks in the second paragraph is a bit abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. You use some good collocations like 'broaden their horizons', 'career prospects', and 'interdisciplinary thinking'. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'paid their major time' (should be 'devoted the majority of their time') and 'education are absolutely diverse' (subject-verb agreement error). While you attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and there is some repetition of basic terms. Expanding your range of academic vocabulary would help improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are recurring grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'education are absolutely diverse' is a subject-verb agreement error, and 'change a job' should be 'change jobs' or 'switch careers'. There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the punctuation is generally accurate. Increasing the variety of complex structures while focusing on grammatical precision will help elevate your score.

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