Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-20

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 6.5)

Some university students are interested to learn additional subjects along with their primary subjects while others believe it is essential to spend all their time and focus on studying relevant courses for a graduation. Although learning other subjects allow students to explore different fields of study, I strongly agree with the latter point that studying main subjects help them gain expertise on their domain.

On the one hand, studying other courses allow them to explore and build knowledge on different industries. If students find these subjects interesting in earlier semesters itself, this gives them a chance to switch their field of study. However, exploring additional subjects might be a burden for other students and might significantly affect their overall grades. For instance, students might lose attention on their primary subjects if more subjects are added into their curriculum.

On the other hand, allowing students to focus full-time on their main subjects enables them to gain expertise and learn more about their industry. The prime reason is core subjects provide fundamental knowledge for graduates to prosper in their field. Additionally, if students focus all their time on primary courses it will improve their university scores, thus paving a stronger path for a successful career. For example, most students learning main subjects alone have higher scores, which is a minimum requirement during placements and helps them secure high paying jobs.

In conclusion, though some graduates are keen to study other subjects along with their core ones as they allow them to explore additional fields, I firmly believe that students should focus on their primary subjects to gain expertise and secure good jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both views and gives a clear, consistent opinion: the introduction and conclusion support prioritising core subjects. Relevant reasons are provided, including the chance to explore other fields and the risk that extra courses may distract from primary study; the discussion of expertise, grades and employment also supports your position. Examples such as placement requirements help make the argument concrete. The development is generally effective, though some claims are broad—for example, that students studying only main subjects “have higher scores”—and the benefits of learning additional subjects could be explained further. To strengthen the response, qualify generalisations and develop the examples with a clearer explanation of how they illustrate the point.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear four-paragraph structure, with the introduction establishing your position, separate paragraphs presenting each view, and a conclusion that returns to your opinion. The progression within paragraphs is generally logical, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the organisation easy to follow. Linking expressions including “However,” “Additionally,” and “For example” are used appropriately to connect reasons and illustrations. Some connections are a little mechanical, and repeated references to “main subjects” and “primary subjects” make the flow less flexible. You could improve cohesion by using clearer referencing and varying transitions, while ensuring that each example is explicitly tied back to the claim it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “explore different fields of study,” “fundamental knowledge,” “expertise,” and “successful career.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and some topic-specific language helps the argument sound relevant. However, several collocations or word choices are not fully natural, such as “interested to learn,” “build knowledge on different industries,” and “a stronger path.” Repetition of “subjects,” “students,” and “focus” also limits flexibility. Aim to learn vocabulary in natural combinations and choose more precise terms—for example, distinguish between academic disciplines and industries. This would make the language more fluent and precise without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses with “Although,” “if,” and “though,” as well as cause-and-effect structures such as “thus paving a stronger path.” Most sentences are understandable, and errors rarely interfere with the message. Some agreement and verb-form errors remain: “learning other subjects allow” should be “allows,” and “studying main subjects help” should be “helps.” There are also issues with articles and sentence construction, as in “for a graduation” and “if students focus all their time on primary courses it will improve,” where the pronoun reference is unclear. Greater consistency in subject–verb agreement and clearer clause construction would build on the range already demonstrated.

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