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)

It is often argued by some people that university students should study another subject while learning their major subject for understanding with other fields. Meanwhile, others argue that it is important to focus on the main subject for a qualification and succeed in the field. However, I believe that studying an extra subject apart from the primary one is beneficial for social survival.

On the one hand, supporters argue that students should learn one extra subject while learning their major one, believing that it's beneficial for students to gain knowledge of different fields. As people with different kinds of knowledge are able to deal with all types of problems in life. Take an example of Canada, there most of people can deal easily with every sort of life like medical, educational and legal matters, mainly because their government officials made an initiative in 2000, about university students learning extra subjects with their primary studies. Thus,it is proven that studying different type of subjects while learning a major is beneficial.

While on the other hand, advocates of the view students should give their attention to their main subjects because to succeed in their own field, it is very important to give extra focus. Students who do not give attention to their studies can not get success. For instance, in Mongolia, it is expected that by the year 2030, young people will succeed in their professional lives, because now they are studying their primary subjects with attention. Hence, this view also seems to

carry a lot weightage.

However, I believe that studying some extra subjects while learning the main qualifications is important because its give you sence of knowledge of all field and also exposure to life. As mostly companies hire people how have experience not only theoretical knowledge.

To sum up, even though focusing on one major study is beneficial for professional life, I believe that it is more important to learn some real-life subjects along with studying primary subjects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—studying a variety of subjects versus focusing entirely on a primary qualification—and clearly states a personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are extended with examples, such as the reference to Canada and Mongolia, although these examples are somewhat generalized and lack complete factual depth. The position is maintained throughout the essay. While the development of arguments is adequate for a Band 6.0, certain points like the mention of Mongolia are slightly tenuous in supporting the specific view presented. Overall, the requirements of the prompt are sufficiently fulfilled to meet the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a clear overall progression with a recognizable introduction, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'On the one hand', 'While on the other hand', and 'To sum up', which help to structure the text. However, referencing and transitions are at times slightly mechanical or abrupt, as seen in sentences starting with 'Take an example of Canada, there most of people...' where cohesive flow is slightly hindered. Paragraphing is adequate, earning a solid Band 6 for organization and logical progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'qualification', 'beneficial', 'professional lives', and 'exposure'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'for understanding with other fields', 'carry a lot weightage' (missing preposition), and 'its give you sence of knowledge' (spelling and grammatical inaccuracies). Repetition of basic terms like 'subjects' and 'learning' is also apparent. While communication is not impeded, the frequent vocabulary and spelling inaccuracies restrict the score to a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the response, such as missing articles ('there most of people'), comma splices ('Thus,it is proven'), subject-verb agreement issues ('people how have experience'), and incorrect verb forms ('its give you'). Although these errors rarely impede overall comprehension, their frequency prevents the essay from achieving a higher band. The control over grammar is characteristic of a Band 5.5 performance.

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