Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-20

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 some higher education institutes, students also want to study minor subjects in addition to the major subjects. But some people believed they should put all of thier attention to the majors subjects.

Both opinions has thier own pros and cons. Learning about any other subjects enhance your interpersonal skills. If students study any other elective subjects of thier interest it will enhance their skills. They can also find out what their interests are whcih subjects are interesting to them. Learning about other skills and subjects add up in thier profile and it will help them in thier practical fields for their career growth.

On the other hand, time management and giving attention would be the peoblem for them. if they study other subjects also with their qualification subjects it would be the time consuming for them. They would have to focus on both subjects. In most of the cases students could not maintain balance and that result in disturbance in thier daily life activities.

In my opinion i would say learning other subjects in addition to major subjects has more pros than its cons. Learning about new things excite people like me. I learned French language in my university period in addition to my major qualifications. It was a very wonderful experience.I enjoyed a lot but time management was the issue i face at that time but i managed it easily.

In conclude, we can say that learning about other subjects in addition to major subjects has more advantages than disadvantages. So people should study about other subjects if they can manage time properly

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on whether university students should study minor subjects alongside their majors, and it clearly states the writer's opinion. The ideas presented, such as enhancing interpersonal skills and experiencing time management challenges, are relevant and extended with a personal example about learning French. However, some arguments remain somewhat repetitive and under-developed, relying on general statements without deeper exploration. For instance, the point that 'learning about other skills and subjects add up in thier profile' is touched upon but not fully expanded. Despite these limitations in depth, the position is clear throughout and the main prompt requirements are satisfactorily met, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dedicating distinct paragraphs to the introduction, the two contrasting views, the personal opinion, and the conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and faulty. For example, the transitional phrases used, such as 'Both opinions has thier own pros and cons' and 'In conclude', show issues with lexical cohesion and accurate linking. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and logical progression within paragraphs can feel disjointed due to repetitive phrasing. While the underlying structure is logical enough to follow without difficulty, the flaws in cohesive devices and referencing place this response firmly at Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'interpersonal skills', 'elective subjects', and 'practical fields'. However, there are numerous spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including 'thier' instead of 'their', 'majors subjects' instead of 'major subjects', 'whcih' instead of 'which', and 'peoblem' instead of 'problem'. Furthermore, the phrase 'In conclude' is grammatically incorrect. Although these lexical errors are noticeable and detract from the overall quality of the writing, they do not severely impede communication, which justifies a Band 5.5 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional clauses ('If students study any other elective subjects...'). However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and frequent errors persist. Subject-verb agreement errors are common, such as 'Both opinions has thier own pros and cons' and 'which subjects are interesting to them'. There are also tense inconsistencies and punctuation slips, such as lower-case letters at the beginning of sentences ('if they study other subjects', 'In my opinion i would say') and missing spaces after punctuation marks. Because these errors occur frequently but rarely impede overall comprehension, the performance fits the Band 5.5 criteria.

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