Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-09

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)

Nowadays, choosing subjects for study is most important decision for students. Some University students want to learn about other subjects apart from their main subjects, while others argue that it is important to devot their time and pay attention to studying for a qualification. I believe that students should adopt balance approach, learn about additional subjects and focus on qualification as well.

On the one hand, studets should learn about other subjects in addition to their main study. It helps them to gain additional information. Additional subjects allow students to develop communication skills, improve general knowledge and gain technical knowledge. In addition, extra subjetcs provide informations about different cultures ,traditions and history.

On the other hand, those who believe that students should focus on qualification they argue that qualification helps in finding suitable jobs and ensures security of the future. When a student specialized in one specific area then he may not face difficulties in order to find suitable job. Furthermore, those who intrested in securing suitable jobs in future, they prefer spending time on thier qualification instead of learning about other subjects.

In conclusion, additional subjects apart from their main subjects help students to develop communication skills , get knowledge about different culture and traditions. It also enable students to gain technical knowledge by studying additional subjects related to their field. In contrast, pay attention on qualification ensures job security and building career in intrested field. I belive that students should focus on both: spend their time on qualification and learn about other subjects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and state a clear position: students should balance additional learning with preparation for a qualification. Relevant points include broader knowledge and communication skills on one side, and job prospects and future security on the other. However, these ideas are mostly asserted rather than explained or supported with specific examples, and the discussion of the qualification view is less developed. The conclusion repeats the main points but does not add support. The response is 237 words, so it is 13 words below the 250-word minimum; the 18 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each main reason with an explanation or a relevant example to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” makes the direction of the discussion easy to follow. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and the conclusion largely repeats points already made. Some links between ideas are not fully clear—for example, the relationship between “technical knowledge” and studying additional subjects is asserted rather than explained. Improve progression by connecting each reason to its consequence and varying how you link ideas, rather than relying mainly on standard paragraph openers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “qualification,” “communication skills,” “general knowledge,” and “job security,” so the main ideas are understandable. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, spelling, and word-form errors reduce accuracy: “devot,” “subjetcs,” “informations,” “intrested,” and “belive.” Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise, such as “security of the future” and “building career.” These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the argument, but they make the expression less natural. Check spelling carefully and learn common academic collocations for education, employment, and career development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast in the introduction and a conditional-style clause beginning “When a student…”. However, control is inconsistent, and errors occur in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and prepositions. For example, “choosing subjects for study is most important decision” needs an article, while “It also enable students” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence “those who believe … they argue” also uses an unclear, redundant structure. Most sentences remain understandable, but these recurring problems can make the reader pause. Practise accurate sentence patterns and check articles, verb agreement, and clause construction when proofreading.

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