Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-07

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)

A university is a specific area of study where specialised disciplines are taught to gain academic knowledge to make a student being able to enter into a desired profession. While some have opinions that it is for the best to let the university students to learn about different subjects of their interest beside their chosen discipline, others argue that it should be the chosen subject which deserves the best possible attention. This essay will discuss both views before giving the opinion of why the enthusiasm towards letting students to follow their interest should be a priority.

On one hand, a student gets admission into a university by competing with others through a formal exam or some pre-selected procedural criteria which determines the strength of the students' different zones and the area of interest. Through this process, he obtains a subject which becomes the core foundation of his professional backbone in latter periods of his future life. That's why, faculties and curriculum experts give all their efforts towards his integral academic development so that he gets the proper facilities and the guidelines he deserves, to make him established in his chosen area.

On the other hand, a university is also a certain place where different brains are accumulated to get a fertile land to grow, prosper and light the whole country. New ideas, innovations and theories are created from the best minds of a land if they get the sufficient opportunities and motivations to continue their efforts. In that journey, they need both technical and intellectual support from both the campus and faculties that foster their new endeavours. The best minds we see today like Mark Zuckerbergg, Bill Gates, Barrack Obama in the world, wouldn't be here today if they only had chosen their academic journey and made themselves satisfied.

In my opinion, any student should be given the proper facilities and support to let him study anything he wants to and to explore different sections of knowledge to foster his mind reach to an optimum level. Academic motivation to a specific subject alone is merely a way to make a student professional in his chosen area of study.

In conclusion, we follow the world's best minds and successful persons because they let themselves out of their comfort zone and make themselves free in the ocean of knowledge. Ideas, new insights and visions are only created when there is the anticipated platform to nurture a mind. So, it is for the best to let a student study whatever he likes specially while he enters into a university.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The essay addresses both sides of the argument and presents a clear personal position. The ideas are relevant, particularly the discussion on the benefits of interdisciplinary study. However, the development of the opposing view (focusing solely on the main subject) is somewhat limited and relies on general statements rather than specific examples. The conclusion reinforces the position well. To reach a higher band, ensure that the arguments for the opposing view are as thoroughly explored as your own opinion, perhaps by discussing the potential risks of distraction or lack of depth if a student spreads their focus too thinly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, some transitions between sentences within paragraphs feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing (e.g., 'he' used to refer to a student) is occasionally repetitive. Improving the flow between sentences by using more varied cohesive markers would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated language such as 'integral academic development' and 'optimum level'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural collocations, such as 'professional backbone' or 'different brains are accumulated'. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, the use of less common lexical items is somewhat limited. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding slightly awkward phrasing to achieve a more natural, fluent tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'let the university students to learn' (should be 'let... learn'), 'make a student being able' (should be 'enable a student'), and 'his mind reach' (should be 'his mind to reach'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement and correct infinitive usage will help improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.