Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-01

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)

Students believe that focusing on one main specific subject is not that much for their skills improvement, despite of that some beleive that it is important to concentrate on main subject to succeed in specific field of study. I beileve that both points are right in their own way.

Nowadays, students have lots of stress for their studies, especially when they are focusing on something which can help them in long term career. Giving attention on one main part of education can be more stressfull as in real life there are some other challenges and hobbies which we face and enjoy for our own. If students start learning some new skills or passionate their dreams with continuing main subjects, can also them to involve actively in all parts of studies. For instance, while working any kind of job sometimes we feels like we need some kind of non-work related activity which can help our mind feels fresh and active to foucs on work. This is the exact way students also try to involve themselves in other skills or studies apart from main subject, so they can inhance their skills and learn to do multitask at the same time.

On the other hand, it is also important to focus on the main course of studies as these studies will actually takes us to our career path. For example, if i am doing studies to become a nurse then its really essential for me to focus on my medical studies more harder than other as I'm choosing a career for my whole life, which needs lot of attention. For other subjects, I can still be easy.

Mainly, I believe that students always try to look into their potential if they want to focus on one main subject or they want to learn more other subjects while balancing the main goal of their life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views regarding whether students should study additional subjects or focus purely on their main qualification, and it presents a clear personal opinion. However, the ideas remain somewhat limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion on stress relief and hobbies in the second body paragraph is introduced generally with phrases like "some other challenges and hobbies" but lacks fully elaborated examples or thorough explanation of how this benefits academic performance. Similarly, the counter-argument regarding career focus provides a personal anecdote about nursing, but the extension of these ideas is brief. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to expand further on the implications of both viewpoints rather than relying on generalized statements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a discernible overall organisation with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint, and a concluding stance. Paragraphing is used to separate the opposing arguments. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by mechanical and repetitive cohesive devices. For instance, the transition between sentences often relies on basic conjunctions or repetitive structures such as "For instance" and "On the other hand." Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun use in "if i am doing studies to become a nurse then its really essential for me to focus on my medical studies more harder than other," where the exact antecedent or logical link between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety and accuracy of cohesive devices would create a clearer logical flow throughout the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express basic concepts about education and career choices. There are noticeable lexical errors in word choice, word form, and collocation throughout the text. Examples include "skills improvement" instead of skill development, "passionate their dreams" instead of pursue their dreams, "inhance" (spelling of enhance), and "more harder" which blends comparative forms incorrectly. Additionally, phrases like "be easy" do not appropriately convey the intended meaning of taking a more relaxed approach to elective subjects. These inaccuracies occasionally cause minor difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted lexical range that needs greater precision and variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few faulty attempts at complex clauses. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding verb forms, prepositions within grammatical patterns, and sentence boundary punctuation. Examples include "despite of that some beleive" (incorrect prepositional phrase and spelling), "Giving attention on one main part" (incorrect preposition), "can also them to involve actively" (missing verb element), and "sometimes we feels like" (subject-verb agreement error). While the meaning can generally be deciphered, these frequent errors require the reader to slow down and can cause difficulty, preventing the writing from achieving a higher control of grammatical accuracy and sentence variety.

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