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)

In universities some students study additional subjects with their course subjects, while some people believes that their main focus should be main subjects of their course for better qualification. Many students are intrested to study other subjects which is good approach to expand their knowledge which is discouraged by some people to focus only on main subjects. In this essay we will discuss both views.

It is observed that in many universities some students learn about additional subjects which are not related to their field. According to my persepective this is a good thing for students to increase their knowledge and learn things which are intresting for them, In this way they can explore more subjects and can gain more knowledge according to choice. Some students are intrested in other subjects but due to the family pressure and other social effects they have to choose specific course for better future opportunities so they keep studying other subjects of their intrest to calm their instinct and stay in touch with their intrested subjects.

For example some people have more intrest in litrature and philosophy but due to higher demad of IT and science they keep studying these subjects to create a better future so while studying these subjects they often read their intrested subjects in libraries and on online platforms to satisfy their thirst.

On the other hand, focusing on other subjects instead of main course subjects can split their thoughts and they will not be able to fully concentrate on their main subjects. As a resiult of this they will not be able to qualify and complete their studies on time.

In conclusion, learning additional subject have several advantages but we cannot ignore disadvantages so a balance is required for choices. They should explore other subjects to gain knowledge but should not ignore importance of their course subjects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—learning additional subjects versus focusing exclusively on course subjects—and provides the writer's opinion. The introduction clearly sets up the debate, and body paragraphs explore the rationale behind both perspectives. For instance, the writer notes that studying other subjects helps students 'increase their knowledge and learn things which are intresting for them,' while also acknowledging the counter-argument that doing so 'can split their thoughts and they will not be able to fully concentrate.' However, some ideas lack deep extension and rely on somewhat repetitive reasoning regarding time management and future opportunities. The conclusion neatly summarizes the discussion. Overall, the response meets the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, moving from an introduction to two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Logical connectors are used throughout, such as 'For example,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader through the argumentation. However, referencing and cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or faulty, as seen in the phrasing 'so while studying these subjects they often read...' which leads to run-on sentence structures and a lack of smooth transitions between clauses. Paragraphing is visible, but internal cohesion within sentences occasionally falters. This level of organization and linking corresponds to a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as 'persepective,' 'instinct,' and 'satisfy their thirst.' However, there are numerous spelling errors throughout the response, including 'intrested' instead of 'interested,' 'litrature' instead of 'literature,' 'demad' instead of 'demand,' and 'resiult' instead of 'result.' Word choice and collocation are also occasionally imprecise, such as 'social effects' instead of 'social pressures.' While these lexical shortcomings and spelling mistakes do not entirely impede communication, they restrict the score to a Band 5.5, reflecting a mix of adequate resource and noticeable inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting complex structures with clauses introduced by 'due to,' 'while,' and 'so.' However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several run-on sentences and punctuation errors, particularly missing commas before introductory or dependent clauses, such as 'In this way they can explore more subjects...' and 'so while studying these subjects they often read...'. Additionally, article usage is sometimes missing or incorrect, as in 'learning additional subject have several advantages' where 'subject' should be plural and 'have' should be 'has.' Because errors in grammar and punctuation occur frequently but rarely impede overall communication, the performance fits the Band 6.0 descriptor.

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