Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-18
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)
Students from some universities are showing keen interest in learning about other subject in addition to their main subjects, whereas others say that focusing all their time and attention to studying for qualification is of more importance than that. In my prespective, learning about other additional subject is a good chooice as it helps students boarden their knowledge and skills, on the oher hand, giving all their time to a regular subject is also a great strategy for someone who wants ot excell in that particular subject.
Firstly, having interest in leaening other additional subject than the regular subject shows that a student wants something new and wants to gain knowledge from other subjects too. Repeatedly learning from the same subject can make them loose interest over time and hamper their mental health. In addition to that, learning from different subjects makes them more confident in other sectors too. For instance, if a poerson is only enegible in one particular subject or career, he is likely to have less job opportuity in the future. But a person who has grasped knowledge from all around has more chance of opportunity, which makes a great difference in the days coming.
So, it is important to learn from additional subjects than just learning form the same subject over and over again.
Secondly, giving more time to a preffered subject is more beneficial for someone who is aiming for the highest position in that particular subject. Although learning same subject time and time over may feel boring it will be worth the try. For example, a person who is highly skilled in one sector is likely to get more job opportunities in that particular subject, not only that but he will also get maid more than anyone else in the company. SO, giving importance to a certain subject and sutdying for a qualification can be a life changing turn of event if studued dilligently.
To conclude, whether taking a main subject and reading it with full attention, or learning some additional subjects in addition to that of main subject, totally depends on a students preferrence. In my opinion both are equally important considering their demand in the future ahead.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—learning additional subjects versus focusing exclusively on a main qualification—and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are extended and supported, such as discussing mental health, confidence, and future job opportunities for those who explore multidisciplinary subjects, as well as the benefits of high specialisation. However, there is a tendency to over-generalise in places, and some arguments could be explored with more depth or varied supporting evidence. Overall, the task is well covered, aligning closely with the requirements for Band 6.5 to Band 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by two distinct body paragraphs representing the two views, and finishing with a conclusion. Transitional markers such as 'Firstly', 'In addition to that', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader through the structure. However, referencing and cohesive devices occasionally feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition between sentences within the body paragraphs sometimes lacks smooth flow, leading to minor disruptions in progression. Paragraphing is used appropriately overall, supporting a clear logical progression.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'multidisciplinary' (implied), 'qualification', and 'diligently'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including 'prespective' instead of 'perspective', 'chooice' instead of 'choice', 'boarden' instead of 'broaden', 'oher' instead of 'other', 'loss' or 'loose' instead of 'lose', 'enegible' instead of 'eligible', 'opportuity' instead of 'opportunity', 'preffered' instead of 'preferred', 'maid' instead of 'made', and 'sutdying' instead of 'studying'. These errors occasionally cause mild strain for the reader, placing the lexical performance solidly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional structures ('if a person is only eligible...') and relative clauses. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in prepositions, article usage, and verb forms, such as 'focusing all their time and attention to studying' instead of 'on studying', 'learning same subject' instead of 'learning the same subject', and spelling slips that bleed into grammatical perception. While the meaning is generally communicated, the high frequency of surface-level errors prevents the writing from achieving a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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