Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-19
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)
At university, students have different opinions about what to study. Some think they should learn other subjects along with main subjects, while others think they should not only focus on their qualification. This essay will discuss both veiws.
On one hand, learning other subjects at university gives more opportunities to the students. It makes student more skillful. Learning the other subjects with main subjects help the people in their career. They can get a good job in the future. For instance, a medical student learn other languages or music along with their studies. It can also make them active in their studies. It can reduce stress and help the students to find new hobbies.
On the other hand, focus on the main subjects is also very important. The university degress are very difficult and need a lot of time and hard work. If the students give attention to other subjects, then it can affect on their main subjects. For instance, a well-known or a good job requires a detailed knowledge of the subject. If students spend their time on other subjects, they can get low scores or CGPA in their degree.
In my opinion, i think students should learn other subjects with their main subjects, but their main focus should be on main subjects. This can make them expert in that feild. Learning two or more useful skills like English or Computer can help students in their future.
In conclusion, both veiws have the advantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address both views and give a clear preference: students can study additional subjects, but their main focus should remain on their degree. Relevant points include broader career opportunities and the risk that divided attention could lower grades. However, several ideas are asserted rather than explained: for example, the medical student learning music or languages is not linked clearly to a specific career benefit, and the conclusion merely says both views have advantages. The response therefore covers the task, but some parts are less fully developed than others. It is also five words below the required minimum. To strengthen the response, explain each example and its relevance, and make the conclusion restate your reasoning more fully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, your opinion, and a conclusion. The signposts “On one hand” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the discussion, and the ideas generally progress in a sensible order. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, however, because several sentences begin with “It” or “If the students,” and the links between claims are not always explicit. For instance, the example of learning music follows the career-benefit claim without explaining how it supports that point. The final conclusion is also very brief and does not clearly reconnect to your stated position. Use more precise referencing and develop transitions between claims and examples.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, with relevant terms such as “qualification,” “career,” “detailed knowledge,” and “CGPA.” However, the range is limited and some wording is repetitive, particularly “subjects,” “students,” and “main subjects.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice problems, including “veiws,” “degress,” and “feild,” as well as unnatural phrases such as “makes student more skillful” and “affect on their main subjects.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the argument, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Build a wider set of accurate academic collocations, and check spelling and word forms carefully before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use mostly straightforward sentence patterns and attempt some longer conditional and relative structures, such as “If the students give attention to other subjects, then it can affect…” and “Learning two or more useful skills… can help students…”. Meaning is generally understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur. Examples include “It makes student more skillful,” “A medical student learn,” and “The university degress are very difficult and need…”. The opinion sentence also has an unnecessary repetition in “In my opinion, i think,” and the pronoun “i” should be capitalised. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and article use, while varying sentence forms without making them harder to control.
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