Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-15

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)

It is often argued that university students might want to learn different subjects in addition to their main course however others argue that students should only focus their time and attention to their course. I strongly support that students should be allowed to study other subjects as it helps them to explore different topics and ideas outside of their own main course.

Many courses in the universities offer elective classes in addition to their core subjects. Students are allowed to select any classes as they wish in the elective subject, as a result it supports students to explore alternative concepts and topics. For instance, an engineering student can select psychology as an elective subject, as it helps the student to understand the basic concept of human nature as well as encourages their curosity to learn different topic. As a result, it encourages students to learn other subjects in addition to their main subject.

On the other hand, many argue that students should only focus on their main course. It might be claimed that studying many subjects might confuse the student and distract their attention to other subjects. By focusing and concentrating in their main curriculum helps students to be expert in the field and might help conducting research and develop new theories. For example, science is one of the subject, where students give all their time and attention to be a qualified scientist. Thus, it can be stated that students should focus on the main subject their stuyding.

In conclusion, I would strongly support that students should be allowed to choose and study different subjects besides their main course as it helps the student to explore different ideas and concepts and promotes learning.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and state a clear opinion in the introduction and conclusion: you support studying subjects beyond a main course. The examples of an engineering student taking psychology and a science student concentrating on a qualification are relevant. However, the two sides are not developed equally. The benefits of electives are explained through curiosity and understanding human nature, while the opposing view is mainly asserted: the claim that studying several subjects may cause confusion is not illustrated or explored in detail. The point about specialising and conducting research could also be linked more clearly to why focused study matters. Develop each argument with a specific consequence or example, and make the comparison between breadth and specialisation more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help readers recognise the shifts in argument. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent arrangement and also shows some stronger control through paragraphing and logical sequencing. However, linking can feel mechanical because “as a result” and “thus” repeatedly announce conclusions, and the first paragraph’s “however” joins contrasting ideas without effective punctuation. Some references, such as “it” in “it supports students,” are not fully precise. Use a wider range of natural links and make pronoun references unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the topic, including relevant terms such as “elective classes,” “core subjects,” “curriculum,” “qualified scientist,” and “develop new theories.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and you attempt more specific vocabulary than basic terms alone. Some word-choice and collocation errors, however, reduce precision: “focus their time and attention to” is not the natural pattern, “different topic” is imprecise, and “conducting research and develop new theories” is not parallel in form. There is also a spelling error in “curosity,” and “stuyding” appears in the final sentence of the opposing-view paragraph. Check spelling carefully and learn common academic collocations as complete phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including clauses with “as,” “where,” and “that,” and most meaning remains clear. Some errors occur in sentence construction and agreement. For example, “By focusing and concentrating in their main curriculum helps students” has an incorrect structure: the introductory phrase cannot serve as the subject of “helps.” In “science is one of the subject,” the noun should be plural, while “students should focus on the main subject their stuyding” is missing a grammatical link such as “are.” The opening sentence also needs clearer punctuation around “however.” Practise building complex sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation during revision.

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