Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

There has been an ongoing debate about whether university students should study additional subjects along with main subjects or devote all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. While, varities of subjects can enhance knowledge and improve future prospects of the pupils. I strongly believe that if educators maintaining a balance between core subjects and additional subjects is the most effective approach.

One the one hand, studying another subject along with main subjects serves several benefits. Initially, it enables pupils to receive or gain wide range of skills and knowledge which may be useful in their future careers. In today's competetive job market, businesses and comapines hire not only that person who have academic knowledge but they also wants practical and technological skills. For instance,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response begins to address the discussion by giving a benefit of studying additional subjects: students may gain skills useful in future careers, and employers value practical and technological abilities. It also states a position in favour of balancing core and additional subjects. However, the task is only minimally answered: the view that students should focus entirely on their qualification is not discussed, and the stated opinion is not explained or supported. The example is introduced with “For instance,” but never completed. The response contains 117 words, below the required 250, which leaves the argument substantially incomplete. To develop the answer, explain both viewpoints, support each with a relevant example, and clarify why your preferred approach is best.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is an emerging structure: an opening paragraph presents the topic and opinion, followed by a body paragraph introduced with “One the one hand.” This gives the reader some indication of the intended direction. However, the response ends mid-example, so there is no completed development, contrasting paragraph, or conclusion, and the overall progression remains incomplete. Some linking expressions, such as “Initially,” are used, but they do not establish a clear sequence of fully developed points. The opening sentence beginning “While” is also left as a fragment, which weakens the connection between the background and the writer’s position. Use separate paragraphs for each view and your opinion, connect each claim to its explanation, and finish with a concise conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response shows some useful topic vocabulary, including “qualification,” “future prospects,” “competitive job market,” and “practical and technological skills.” These choices make the general subject clear and show an attempt to use language beyond basic everyday terms. However, the range is limited by the short response, and several spelling or word-choice errors reduce accuracy: “varities,” “competetive,” and “comapines” are misspelled, while “receive or gain wide range” is awkward and repetitive. “Pupils” is less suitable than “students” in a university context. Build a more precise academic vocabulary and check spelling and collocations carefully; for example, use “acquire a broad range of skills” and “employers value practical skills.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some complex sentence forms, including the opening contrast with “While” and the clause beginning “which may be useful in their future careers.” However, control is inconsistent, and several errors affect clarity. “While, varieties of subjects can enhance knowledge…” is an incomplete subordinate clause, and “if educators maintaining a balance…” has an incorrect verb form and does not form a complete grammatical structure. There are also agreement and article problems in “businesses and companies hire not only that person who have” and “gain wide range.” The sentence beginning “In today’s competitive job market” would be clearer with a correctly balanced “not only…but also” construction. Practise complete clauses, subject–verb agreement, and articles while retaining a mix of simple and complex sentences.

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