Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-03

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 6.0)

Although some university students want to enroll for other courses in addition to their core courses because they want to gain knowledge about things that interest them. I agree with the view that students should spend all their time and attention studying for a qualification to attain the required gpa and skills.

On the one hand, some university students want to learn about other subjects in addition to their main courses. This is because they want to learn about the concepts that interest them. Opting for courses other than the required courses would provide them with extra knowledge and exposure in a different field. This would also help students develop a vast skillset and give them an opportunity to interact with new people. Such opportunity would give them a chance to explore their areas of interest while pursuing their main courses. For example, LUMS offers courses, such as astronomy which students from any department can opt for. Hence, this allows students to learn about stars and the galaxies.

On the other hand, some university students are of the view that it is imperical to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. This is because univeristy courses are tough. Students have to appear for exams, prepare assignments and projects, and give presentations. Therefore, with all this course work taking up additional subjects might effect their grades, as their attention would be diverted. Since the university students intend to pursue a career in this field they should spend all of their time and energy learning and perfecting these concepts. For example, some undergraduate courses require a lot of research work. So students should spend their time doing the main course work. They cannot afford any distractions as it can cost them their gpa and grades.

In conclusion, even though some students want to learn about courses other than their main subjects because it interests them and would give them exposure. I believe that students should spend all their time and energy on their main subjects to achieve the perfect gpa.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting arguments for both views and offering a clear personal opinion. The introductory sentence is actually a dependent clause fragment ('Although some university students want to enroll for other courses...'), which slightly blurs the opening stance, but the overall position is maintained throughout the essay. Both sides of the argument are covered, though some ideas are developed more fully than others. For instance, the paragraph supporting elective courses provides a specific example using LUMS and astronomy, but the elaboration on skillsets feels slightly repetitive. Conversely, the counter-argument regarding academic pressure and GPA is relevant and supported by logical reasoning about assignments and projects, though it could benefit from a bit more extension to fully develop the implications. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, and note that 26 words copied directly from the prompt were not counted toward the minimum requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and conclusion. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, signalled by standard cohesive phrases such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and cohesion are at times mechanical or somewhat repetitive, relying heavily on formulas like 'This is because' to link sentences. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points of view, but the internal transitions within the body paragraphs could be smoother and more varied to avoid a formulaic feel. To move to a higher band, the writer needs to integrate ideas with more subtle and flexible cohesive devices rather than relying on predictable transitional frames.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'exposure', 'vast skillset', and 'distractions'. However, there are notable word choice, spelling, and word form inaccuracies that prevent a higher score. For example, the word 'imperical' is misspelled (intended as 'empirical'), 'effect' is used instead of the verb 'affect', and 'gpa' is lowercase. Collocations and stylistic choices are occasionally basic or slightly awkward, such as 'take up additional subjects'. While these lexical inadequacies do not seriously impede communication, they reflect a limited precision and flexibility that keep the vocabulary score restricted to this level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct compound and complex clauses using subordinators like 'because' and 'even though'. There are, however, some errors in grammar and punctuation sprinkled throughout the text. A prominent issue appears in the very first sentence, which is structurally incomplete because it starts with 'Although' but terminates in a full stop before the main clause can be resolved. Other minor errors include article omissions or awkward prepositional phrases within grammatical patterns. Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the train of thought without major difficulty.

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