Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-14

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 5.0)

There is a wide debate nowadays whether it is recommended to learn new subjects beside the main ones, others beleive that focusing and giving interest on the most important topics is more beneficial and gives more qualification.

In one hand, some universities' specialties offer a wide programs of learning a language beside it they add some modules to help the undergratuate understand better, for instance learning english in a specialy known as "literature interdescplinary approaches" doesn't stop only in learning littérature, linguistics and phonetics of that language, some modules are taught such as psychology and frenche, either help to understand the theories and the lives of the philosophs. For exemple students can learn about the theory of "oedipus" in english, however it is really beneficial to study physcology beside it to better understand that theory and apply it correclty in their essays.

In contradition, a wide category of learners claim that focusing on the main subjects should be more beneficial for learners and understand they significant aspects of their studies. Learning minor topics can distract an undergraduate from his goal to acheive a rich quality of education, therefore remaining on the main modules is better. For instance, learning about medicin or pharmacy is normally a huge field packed with lessons and theories, waisting few hours a week learning arts beside them may be disadvantageous for them since they have a quiet full syllabus.

In my opinion i beleive that learning new topics beside the main ones can be helpful to better understand the wid field that students are learning, because every idea taught is basically linked to other ideas and to better clarify them everyone deserve to be well taught and the head of departements should afford them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—learning extra subjects versus focusing entirely on core studies—and presents a clear personal opinion in the final paragraph. The ideas are generally relevant, such as mentioning interdisciplinary approaches in literature degrees and the heavy workload in medical fields. However, some arguments lack full development and clarity. For instance, the reference to studying psychology to understand the Oedipus theory is a good start, but the explanation becomes slightly convoluted. Similarly, the conclusion is rather brief and repetitive. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, placing it at a solid Band 6.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into four distinct paragraphs, presenting an introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. There is a clear logical progression overall. However, cohesive devices are sometimes faulty, mechanical, or awkwardly phrased, such as starting paragraphs with 'In one hand' (instead of 'On the one hand') and 'In contradition'. Referencing is also slightly unclear at times, particularly with pronoun usage like 'either help' and 'everyone deserve'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the essay, but the mechanical and inaccurate use of transition markers keeps this criterion at a Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'interdisciplinary', 'undergraduate', and 'syllabus', showing an adequate range for the task. However, there are numerous spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including 'beleive', 'specialy', 'interdescplinary', 'littérature', 'philosophs', 'medicin', 'waisting', 'quiet full' (quite full), and 'wid' (wide). While these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the writer from achieving a higher band. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the intended meaning, justifying a Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues that affect readability. Examples include run-on sentences with comma splices in the introduction and first body paragraph ('...besides the main ones, others beleive...'), incorrect verb agreement ('everyone deserve', 'philosophs'), and missing articles or prepositions. Although the meaning can generally be deciphered, the frequency of basic grammatical errors means that error-free sentences are not in the majority, which aligns closely with the Band 5.0 descriptors.

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