Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-11

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)

In today's world, there is a considerable debate about subjects. While many university students want to have different subject despite from their major subjects, other undergraduate believe paying more attention towards their programs subjects are more significant than the other subjects. This essay will dicuss both perspectives before providing my opinion.

On the one hand, education has been widely supported for several reasons. Firstly, a lot of students want to learn other subjects because they have immense interest in different course subjects. For example, foreign language subject is the one that should be a part of every program once in entire degree. Students are actually interested in these type of subjects to explore other languages a long with their national language. In my degree, I have also studied a foreign language subject (Arabic) that's so beneficial. Secondly, undergraduate students feel so stressed out when they are only stucked with studies. This suggests that undergraduate students should have any other subject too so that can't be bored with their studies / programs. Therefore, many of them believe that different subject is the most beneficial approach.

On the other hand, there are those who argue that students should only focus on their subjects qualifications. One of the main reasons is that students who are not good in their academic work should only give time to their program courses rather than other subjects. For instance, students with low results have to give proper time to their studies to boost their marks and grades. Additionally, fully focusing on their main subjects is any other key factor. This view supported by many professional teachers. As a result, proponents of focusing on their main subject emphasize.

In conclusion, while both learning different subject and focusing on the main subjects of the program have their merits.I believe that learning new subject is more more interesting any beneficial.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a preference for learning additional subjects, so the response is relevant to the task. The Arabic-language example gives your first argument a personal illustration, and you also explain that students with weaker results may need to concentrate on their degree courses. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the claim that another subject prevents boredom is not explained in much detail, while the case for focusing on a qualification is brief and largely repeats the point about improving grades. Your opinion appears clearly in the conclusion, but it would be stronger if you explained why the benefits of broader learning outweigh the need for specialisation. Develop each view with a clear reason and a specific consequence or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the broad direction. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Therefore, many of them believe that different subject is the most beneficial approach” does not clearly follow from the preceding points, and the second body paragraph ends with the incomplete-sounding “proponents of focusing on their main subject emphasize.” Referencing is also sometimes vague, as in “This view.” Organise each paragraph around one main claim, then connect its explanation and example explicitly; ensure the conclusion follows smoothly from the discussion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “qualification,” “undergraduate,” “program courses,” and “boost their marks and grades,” and you attempt more formal expressions such as “immense interest.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning awkward: “different subject despite from their major subjects,” “stucked with studies,” and “fully focusing on their main subjects is any other key factor.” There are also spelling and word-form errors, including “dicuss” and “beneficial” where the intended form appears to be “beneficial.” Aim for accurate, natural combinations rather than adding formal-sounding phrases. Reusing precise terms such as “elective courses,” “degree requirements,” and “broader knowledge” would make the discussion clearer and less repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a contrastive opening with “While” and explanations introduced by “because” and “so that.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “other undergraduate believe paying more attention towards their programs subjects are more significant” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “so that can't be bored” omits the subject and uses an unclear construction. Agreement and articles are also inconsistent, as in “different subject is” and “these type of subjects.” The conclusion contains a run-on punctuation problem in “merits.I believe.” Practise building complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, and check agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries before submitting.

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