Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-22

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 6.5)

In recent years, it has been seen that many university students study subjects apart from their main fields. Some people argue that many college students want to learn about other subjects in addition to their main subjects, while others believe that it is more important to give all their time and attention to their main subjects for a qualification. In my opinion, university students should give an equal attention to other subjects and their main subjects for their better future.

On the one hand, studying other subjects contributes to the overall development of the students. This allows the students to gain knowledge about the different fields and may increase the opportunities in the future. For example, if a student is gaining knowledge about finance, they may get an opportunity to work as a financial analyst in a fintech company. Additionally, knowledge of various subjects other than the main subject, allows students to develop innovative technologies. For instance, if a student of an artificial intelligence course gains knowledge about cybersecurity, they may combine this knowledge to create more advanced software against various cyberattacks.

On the other hand, critics argue that dedicating all their time and attention to the main subjects is beneficial for those who want to pursue a job in the main field. If an individual focuses mainly on the main subjects, they will gain deeper knowledge about the field and compete with others to obtain a better job in the future. Furthermore, courses such as biology, engineering, and accounting require deep analytical skills, understanding and more hard work. Dedicating the majority of their time will help an individual to obtain better grades in academics.

In conclusion, studying other subjects may lead to developing innovative technology and a wide range of opportunities. However, dedicating all their time to the main subjects helps an individual to obtain better grades and deeper knowledge. A balanced approach works best where students should explore the other subjects but dedicate an equal amount of time to the main subjects for their better future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the fintech analyst and the AI/cybersecurity integration. However, the development of the second viewpoint is slightly less detailed than the first. While the arguments are logical, they could be further extended to reach a higher band by exploring the potential long-term consequences of specialization versus breadth. The position is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the arguments presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth, using standard cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some cohesive links are slightly repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. To improve, you could vary the cohesive devices further to avoid relying on the same transitional phrases, which would enhance the flow and make the structure feel more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your ideas clearly and accurately. You use some topic-specific terminology such as 'fintech company', 'cyberattacks', and 'analytical skills'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a tendency to repeat words like 'subjects', 'main', and 'knowledge' frequently. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise synonyms or collocations to avoid repetition. For example, instead of repeating 'main subjects', you could use 'core curriculum', 'specialized field of study', or 'primary discipline'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'give an equal attention' (should be 'give equal attention') and 'in academics' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). Punctuation is generally accurate, and the control of complex structures, such as conditional sentences ('if a student is gaining...'), is effective. To improve, focus on refining article usage and ensuring subject-verb agreement in more complex sentence constructions.

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