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)

It is often argued that majority of university students want to get knowledge about further additional subjects rather than their primary subjects. While rest believes it is more significant to give all their time and focus to study for a qualification. Below i’ll be discussing about my views and opinion on both ways.

Firstly, reading outside of their syllabus can aid students on gaining additional knowledge. Students will get more information which can also help them improve their skills on something such as financial and communication skills. For instance, if a bachelor in hotel management student studies a finance book than it can help him improve his financial skills which will greatly help him once he reaches higher positions to manage the finances of a restaurant. For this reason, reviewing additional subjects can improve students skills and gain additional knowledge.

However, if an individual proceeds to go through outside their primary subjects it can hamper their results and also loose focus. Student can loose their focus and might mainly focus on additional subjects because it can be more fascinating to them. For example, Many students nowadays have hobbies to study novel and poetry books more and spend their majority of time studying it which can decrease their focus on their main subjects. Therefore, studying outside of primary subjects can be harmful for results and focus.

In conclusion, Studying outside of main subjects can assist on improving their knowledge and skills. while, It can also affects the students study and focus on their primary subjects. But, i believe is that students should balance their main subjects and other outside subjects. By doing so, they can gain other practical knowledge and skills without hampering their studies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of interdisciplinary knowledge and the potential for distraction. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding the hotel management student is a good start, but the explanation could be more deeply explored to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the argument. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more comprehensive analysis rather than repeating the main point at the end of the paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and flow. For example, the phrase 'While rest believes' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the cohesion between the first and second sentences. Additionally, the use of 'But, i believe is that' in the conclusion is clunky. Improving the variety and naturalness of linking words would help the essay flow more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary like 'syllabus', 'qualification', and 'interdisciplinary' (though not used, the concepts are present). However, there are several word-choice errors, such as 'get knowledge' (should be 'acquire knowledge'), 'loose focus' (should be 'lose focus'), and 'study novel' (should be 'study novels'). These errors do not impede communication, but they indicate a need for more precise control over collocations and word forms to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles (e.g., 'majority of university students'), subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. For instance, 'if a bachelor in hotel management student studies a finance book than it can help him' contains errors in phrasing and the misuse of 'than' instead of 'then'. Additionally, the capitalization of 'I' is inconsistent. While the errors do not prevent understanding, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic errors would be beneficial.

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