Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-27
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)
Many people argue that students should only give attention to subjects that university teaches them and should not give time to others. I agree that in order to achieve good results one must focus on the main subjects but if a student has passion for other fields and want to devote time to that it is also necessary.
There are certain subjects in which students have more interest in schools and universities teach subjects according to their standard. Many students might be willing to go for musical classes or arts but universities only focus over their results at the end of the day and overlook the passion that students carry. There are many well known artists and musicians in the world who may not be good in math, physics and chemistry but are extraordinary in their own field. Schools in Japan have clubs for this purpose and students can choose which activity they want to perform after their classes end this help them to work on their passion side by side.
In contrast, many students due to pressure from their parents choose the field they have no interest in or simply because they do not have enough experience these clubs can be their spot to relax and work on their skills. In America students play basketball and baseball become captain of their team and along with their studies some eventually play international matches and make their career. Furthermore students today have already noticed a gap between the study they are getting from university is not enough to land a job as they might need experience and skills related to that field so focusing only over studying for a qualification does not seems a good option.
In conclusion, students should be given right to decide to choose subjects and work over skills they have interest. With the shift in technology old qualification methods should be improved to newer ones.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on whether students should focus solely on their main subjects or explore other areas, while also providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as mentioning the Japanese school club system and American student athletes. However, some arguments tend to over-generalise and could be more fully developed to reach higher band levels. For instance, the transition between discussing arts and sports is a bit abrupt. Nevertheless, a clear position is maintained throughout the essay, satisfying the core requirements of Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, along with distinct body paragraphs separating the differing views. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, sentences like 'Furthermore students today have already noticed a gap between the study they are getting from university is not enough to land a job...' lack smooth transitions and contain run-on structures that make progression bumpy. Paragraphing is used, but internal referencing and logical signposting could be improved to guide the reader more effortlessly through the arguments.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating ideas related to education, career skills, and extracurricular activities, such as 'passion', 'extracurricular', 'extraordinary', and 'experience'. There are some noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as writing 'musical classes' instead of 'music classes' and 'focus over their results' instead of 'focus on'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited precision. Spelling and word choice errors do not impede communication overall, placing this output firmly in the Band 6.0 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with missing prepositions, subject-verb agreement, and run-on sentences. Examples include 'students who may not be good in math' (good at math), 'focus only over studying' (focus only on studying), and punctuation omissions. These errors can cause occasional difficulty for the reader, although the meaning remains largely intelligible, which corresponds to the Band 5.0 descriptors.
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