Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-19

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)

There is a debate about whether university students should study additional subjects apart from their main field or concentrate on their qualification. While studying extra subjects can provide students with knowledge, I believe that their main subject receives greater attention.

On the one hand, learning other subjects can be beneficial for university students in many ways. Firstly, it helps them develop a range of knowledge and skills. For example, a student studying health care may also learn communication, psychology or computer skills. These can be useful in their future workplace. Secondly, studying different subjects can help students develop new interests and understand different areas of life. This may also improve their creativity because they can gain ideas from different fields.

On the other hand, some people believe that students should focus mainly on their qualifications. Universities should focus mainly on their qualification. University courses contain a large amount of information, and students need enough time to attend lectures, complete assignments, and prepare for examinations. If they spend too much time on unrelated lectures, they may find it difficult to achieve good results in their main field. For example, a medical student needs to spend considerable time studying anatomy, physiology and practical skills.

In conclusion, although studying additional subjects can expand students' knowledge and skills, their main qualification should remain their primary focus. a students to gain both specialist knowledge.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on whether university students should study additional subjects or focus purely on their qualification, and a clear position is presented in the introduction and conclusion. However, the response has a significant issue with length, containing only 229 words, which falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement. This under-length impacts the depth of idea development, particularly in the conclusion, which trails off abruptly with a grammatically incomplete fragment: 'a students to gain both specialist knowledge.' Consequently, while the main arguments are relevant and supported with valid examples such as medical students studying anatomy, the task is only partially addressed in terms of full development and word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression. The response is divided into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments, as seen with transitional phrases like 'On the one hand', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, ensuring that each main point is addressed in its own section. While the abrupt and fragmented conclusion causes a minor disruption in cohesion at the very end, the overall organization remains clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Words and phrases related to education and professional life are used appropriately, such as 'qualification', 'communicate', 'psychology', and 'practical skills'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, though phrase choices occasionally lean toward repetition, such as the repeated use of 'focus mainly on their qualification' in the third paragraph. Spelling is generally accurate, and word-choice errors do not impede communication. However, the lexical range remains somewhat limited and lacks the flexibility and precision associated with higher band scores, particularly due to the fragmented ending where vocabulary fails to form a complete, meaningful sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating adequate control over basic structures. Examples of complex sentences include conditional and participial constructions like 'If they spend too much time on unrelated lectures, they may find it difficult...' and 'While studying extra subjects can provide students with knowledge...'. There are several instances of good grammatical control; however, errors in grammar and punctuation emerge towards the end of the text, most notably the incomplete and ungrammatical concluding sentence fragment ('a students to gain both specialist knowledge'). Despite these errors, the earlier sentences remain largely accurate and rarely impede overall communication.

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