Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-05

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)

In recent years, there has been a growing debate about whether students should learn beyond their major subjects. Some believe that learners should get expertise in other fields also, while others argue that students should devote their all time to their major discipline. This essay will discuss both views before arguing that understanding of other disciplines is more beneficial, provided that maintaining the balance with course subjects.

There are several reasons to learn other subjects. One of the main reasons is that it broadens the knowledge and basic understanding of other fields. This means that students could improve their critical thinking and other important skills. For example, law students learning the accounting could help them in corporate and business related cases. Moreover, having expertise in subjects like economics or marketing will help educators to attain communication skills and how to convince others on their narrative. In response, it helps university students to become competitive while targeting jobs after qualification. Therefore, in today's competitive world, it is necessary to have knowledge of co-related fields for securing high salary job.

On the other hand, others believe that students should concentrate on their specialized subjects. That is because, high demand of academic requirements like to prepare assignments, give presentations and vivas have great pressure. Spending time on unreltaed subjects may increases the academic stress. In response, it is difficult to secure good grades which is the primary objective of higher education. Furthermore, if students want to maintain balance between specialized and beyond major subjects, this may avoid them to participate in other university programs and co-curricular activities which are also plays a significant role in personal and professional growth.

In conclusion, although devoting all their attention to main subjects may helps to achieve required grades, I believe that considering other subjects may be beneficial in learning different skills to compete in job-market by maintaining a balance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of critical thinking and job market competitiveness. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example of law students learning accounting is a good start but could be expanded to explain exactly how it enhances their professional capability. The position is consistent throughout, but the arguments could benefit from more depth to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between the two viewpoints is handled well using 'On the other hand'. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Therefore', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, there are some minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the phrase 'In response' being used in a way that feels slightly repetitive or slightly unnatural in context. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure supports the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate and allows for clear communication. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'major discipline', 'expertise', and 'co-curricular activities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'unreltaed' (spelling error), 'attain communication skills' (should be 'develop' or 'acquire'), and 'avoid them to participate' (should be 'prevent them from participating'). While the range is sufficient for the task, the occasional errors and the reliance on somewhat basic phrasing prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is an attempt to use complex sentences, but these are often marred by grammatical errors. For example, 'may helps to achieve' (subject-verb agreement error), 'which is also plays' (incorrect verb form), and 'maintaining the balance with course subjects' (missing article). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall control of grammar. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of modal verbs and relative clauses.

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

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