Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-27

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)

Some learners desire to acquire knowledge of more subjects in addition to the main ones, while others give all their efforts and focus on studying for scoring good marks to get the degree. This essay will discuss both the perspectives and will give my personal view with reasoning in the subsequent paragraphs.

To commence with, there are few students who prefer to explore more subjects other than academics like music, dance or any sort of sport. These pupils are enthusiastic and creative who are interested in learning something out of the box and find out fields in which they are good at rather than just sticking their knowledge to books. This type of approach is beneficial in many ways: improves skills like task management, socializing, multi-tasking and more. To cite an example, a survey carried out by the Student Council of UK states that students who are involved in extra curricular subjects have more sharp brains, good ability to perform challenging task and quick decision making skill. Also they are more creative and thoughtful than the rest of the peers.

On the contrary, the scholars who gives attention to only the academic part of the university have more general-knowledge and score high marks in crucial examinations. This is because they are away from any other distractions and completely focus on the main stream topis which enables them to concentrate well. For instance, a study conducted by the Education Council of Australia states that the students who focus only on academic achieve highest grades in exam and are more confident as well as carry a personality that can influence others. Moreover, they also perceive good time management skills.

To conclude, for my point of view, it totally depends on the willingness of the learner. Both study patterns have their own merits and demerits, so a student should choose the area of their own interest and work hard on whatever they like to do.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, although the development is somewhat generic. For instance, the mention of 'a survey carried out by the Student Council of UK' is a good attempt at providing evidence, though it lacks specific detail. The position is consistent throughout, and the essay maintains a formal tone. To reach a higher band, ensure that the arguments are more deeply explored rather than just listed, and provide more nuanced reasoning for why one might prefer one approach over the other.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'On the contrary', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, but there is occasional repetition of phrasing, such as 'the students who', which could be improved by using more varied cohesive structures to link ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'enthusiastic', 'distractions', and 'main stream', though some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'more sharp brains' or 'perceive good time management skills'. The range is sufficient to discuss the topic, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Improving the variety of adjectives and using more sophisticated academic collocations would enhance the overall quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'there are few students who prefer' should be 'there are some students', and 'the scholars who gives attention' contains a subject-verb agreement error. Additionally, 'main stream topis' contains a spelling error. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for minor slips would significantly improve the accuracy of the work.

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

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