Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-03

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)

In the contemporary world. many learners want to learn about others curriculum in addition to their main subjects. However, other people believe that it is crucial to give their time and attention to studying for a graduation. This essay will discuss both viewpoints because university subjects beside different things students learn should from it.

On the one hand, many people argue that nowadays students study is very boring and some learners do not perform good in all subjects. This is because their interest on other curriculum such as sports, arts and advance technology. Therefore, if they have options according their interest, they can better perform. Numerous universities do not have best career pathways for the students. As as result, they will not get good life with high-paid jobs. To illustrate, Indian many universities infrastructure in poor condition and there do not have good options in studies. For that reason, students cannot study with bad environment because there are not have good facilities and they cannot get higher studies exposure.

On the other hand, some parents and teacher think that students should study because it will help to secure their future. The main reason this is that they believe that if students only plays sports and physical activities they do not grow in their life. Consequently, they did not get well-paid job and secure future. For instance, many students only plays games a long day, thus their growth is stopping,

To conclude, students should study according their interest because it helps to develop their curiosty for achieving their goals. others say that they should focus only studies. From my pers

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both viewpoints and provides a personal opinion, though the conclusion is incomplete, which affects the overall development. The ideas are relevant but often lack depth and clear logical progression. For example, the argument regarding Indian universities is somewhat tangential and not fully linked to the core debate about curriculum breadth versus specialization. While the prompt is addressed, the development of ideas is inconsistent, and the lack of a finished conclusion prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure that each paragraph directly supports the prompt and provides a clear, well-reasoned argument that is fully concluded.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to structure the response. However, the flow between sentences is often disjointed due to grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Paragraphing is present, but the logical progression within paragraphs is weak. For instance, the transition from discussing student interests to the infrastructure of Indian universities is abrupt and lacks a clear logical connection. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the essay ends abruptly mid-sentence, which significantly disrupts the coherence of the final section.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally limited and repetitive. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'others curriculum' instead of 'other curricula' and 'perform good' instead of 'perform well'. The student attempts to use some academic vocabulary, but these attempts are often inaccurate, such as 'advance technology' instead of 'advanced technology'. The range is sufficient to convey basic meaning, but the lack of precision and the presence of errors in word formation and spelling (e.g., 'curiosty') limit the score. Expanding the range of academic collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a high frequency of grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'students study is', 'there do not have'), article usage, and sentence structure. Complex sentence attempts are often faulty, leading to run-on sentences or fragments. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with periods used incorrectly within sentences. While the meaning is generally discernible, the high density of errors across basic and complex structures prevents a higher band score. Focusing on fundamental grammar rules, particularly verb forms and sentence boundaries, is essential.

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

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