Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-01
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)
There is a growing trend about some university students want to learn about other subjects in addition to the main subjects, while others contend that it is more important to focus their time and attention on studying for a qualifications. While there is nothing wrong with students who want to learn more about other subjects, I believe university students main goal is to finish their main subjects and they should planned accordingly if they want to learn extra subjects.
On one hand, learning other subjects beside their main subjects could offer some benefits. Learning other subjects could provide broader career options in their future. Having diverse skills open doors to different role such as biologist who also studies mathematic could provide some ideas and problem solving skills for their major subjects. Furthermore, employers often value candidates who could bring secondary skills that other applicants lack in the same major.
On the other hand, focusing on your main subject provide academic and professional advantages. Focusing all your energy into your own subject allow students to study more efficiently and achieve top grades.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 181 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address both sides of the argument and provide a clear opinion, the discussion is underdeveloped. The second body paragraph is particularly brief and lacks sufficient supporting examples or depth to fully explore the advantages of focusing on a main subject. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to ensure the task is fully addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the cohesion is somewhat mechanical, and the limited length prevents a more sophisticated flow of ideas. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels incomplete due to the abrupt ending of the essay. Improving the transition between sentences and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and supporting evidence will help.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on somewhat repetitive phrasing, such as 'main subjects' and 'other subjects'. While you attempt some topic-specific vocabulary like 'diverse skills' and 'academic and professional advantages', there is little evidence of less common or idiomatic language. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the English language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There are several grammatical errors throughout the text that affect the accuracy of your writing. For example, 'students want to learn' should be 'students who want to learn', and 'they should planned' should be 'they should plan'. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the control is inconsistent. Subject-verb agreement errors, such as 'focusing on your main subject provide', are frequent. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic tense and agreement errors and aim to use a wider variety of complex structures with greater accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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