Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-04

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 that, few university students want to master about other subjects in addition to their main course however soome believe that it is more significant to focus more on their allocated course and qualify that.In my opinion students should be allowed to learn about other subjects which interest them.

One of the main reason is that, individuals can grasp a lot of knowledge from different feilds in the industry which could further help them in their career as their qualifications can create impressive portfolio for job opportunties.For intance, people majoring in psychology could also study business for future growth which they could apply when they open their own clinic which can help them to deal with accounting.Therefore, leading to more gaining more skills in this competitive market

On the other hand, students already dealing with a difficult degree like actural science would have no interest in other subjects as their own course must be very challenging as a result this can create a fear of missing out on activities causing a mental pressure to the students who are already caught up with alot which can create a decline in their grades. Additionally, Individuals wanting to participate in other subjects could also loose focus on their main course which can be very distracting bringing about a downfall in high ranking students.

In conclusion, although learning more subjects must be distracting and difficult but i believe students should at leat try to increase their skills to have a impressive CV for more career opportunties and a more powerful personality.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on whether university students should study additional subjects or focus strictly on their main qualification, and a clear position is provided in the introduction and conclusion. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. For instance, the argument regarding career opportunities and a psychology student learning business is relevant and supported with an example, but the counter-argument about actuarial science and mental pressure is somewhat rushed and under-developed, relying on sweeping generalizations. To reach a higher level, all main ideas would need more thorough expansion with deeper explanations and consistently well-supported arguments throughout every body paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the differing perspectives. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty and mechanical, particularly in how sentences are linked and transitioned. For example, phrases like "One of the main reason is that" and "Therefore, leading to more gaining more skills" create awkward transitions and mechanical flow rather than smooth progression. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, and some sentences run together without adequate punctuation or logical connection. To improve, the writer needs to employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices while ensuring referencing is precise and referencing markers are used naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, providing a minimally sufficient range to communicate basic ideas about university education and career paths. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as "impressive portfolio", "competitive market", and "actuarial science" (spelled as "actural science"), but these attempts are often accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word form, spelling, and collocation. Examples of lexical slips include "master about", "feilds", "opportunties", and "loose focus" instead of lose focus. These errors do not entirely impede communication, but they restrict the response. To achieve a higher band, the writer must expand their lexical repertoire, demonstrate greater precision in word choice and collocations, and eliminate basic spelling and word-formation errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt at complex structures such as subordinate clauses introduced by 'although' and 'while'. However, these attempts at complex sentences are frequently marred by errors in grammar and punctuation. There are noticeable issues with subject-verb agreement and singular/plural consistency, such as "One of the main reason is that" and "pressure to the students". Punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after full stops (e.g., "qualification.In my opinion") and run-on sentences. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they occur regularly enough to restrict the grammatical score. To progress, the writer needs to increase control over complex sentence patterns, ensure meticulous punctuation, and reduce basic grammatical inaccuracies.

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