Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-23

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)

Many university learners want to learn about other subjects, which are not their first priority. I completely disagree with this view point because it will divert their attention to unnecessary thinking. Some believes that students should only focus on their main subjects.

To begin with, one of the main disadvantages of learn other subject than their main subjects is that they may lose focus on their academic progress. Although it will increase their knowledge in other fields, they will get involved in unwanted activities from their first priority in universities. In this way, learners may be confused in their entire life and would always be in a regretful situation in a mind if they chose that subjects , they would be a successful person. To avoid this situation educators must choose subjects in which they have a strong interest. For example, many universities around the world give a chance to their students in their higher studies to choose mix of subjects. So, I complete degree with this perspective.

On the other hand, many people think that students should focus only on their main qualification, which will increase their confidence and they can be better in their later career. Since engaging in studies is solely the universities responsibility ,this can be achieved by conducting practical work and internships during the semester break. Therefore, students may feel relaxation, because they would have a experience before leaving the universities. By adopting this method students will not participate in other curriculum activities. For example, many UK universities follow this route to focus their students on mainly their chosen studies.

In conclusion, although participating in others subjects may increase their knowledge, it will divert their attention from their main subjects. I believe that scholars should focus on their main studies rather than getting involve in others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument, but the position is inconsistent. In the introduction, you state you 'completely disagree' with learning other subjects, yet in the second paragraph, you argue that students should choose subjects they have an interest in, which contradicts your initial stance. The ideas are somewhat underdeveloped; for instance, the claim that learning other subjects leads to 'regretful situations' is not clearly explained or supported with logical reasoning. To improve, ensure your position is clearly stated and maintained throughout the essay, and provide more specific, relevant examples to support your arguments rather than general statements about university policies.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion.' However, the logical flow is often disrupted by confusing sentence structures and contradictory arguments. For example, the transition between the first and second paragraph is abrupt, and the internal logic within the second paragraph is difficult to follow due to unclear referencing. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the progression of ideas is not always smooth, and the use of linking words is sometimes mechanical or misused, which hinders the overall coherence of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'main subjects' and 'main qualification.' There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'get involved in unwanted activities from their first priority' and 'feel relaxation.' These errors occasionally make the meaning slightly opaque. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise terms related to education and academic development would significantly enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('Some believes'), incorrect article usage ('a experience'), and awkward phrasing ('would always be in a regretful situation in a mind'). While the meaning is generally understandable, these persistent errors in grammar and punctuation prevent the writing from being considered fluent. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like pluralization and verb tense consistency before attempting more complex structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.