Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-28

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 decade ,mostly youngsters have a keen interest to study different subject which are not involved in their syllabus .While others consider that it is necessary to pay full focus on their degree .This essay will discuss both perspectives before presenting my own view.

On the one hand, there are compelling reasons to take interest in irrelevant courses rather then their own degree.Firstly, most university students have a frienship of different departments students and they spent time with each other.Therefore, they discuss their courses ,so they take interest in their subject and wants to learn more about their books.Secondly,some parents force their children to choose the subjects of their own choice that's why most students do not fully involve in their own degree.For instance,in Pakistan mostly parents force their kids to become a doctor and they forcefully get their admission in the medical field .But children have interest in arts or other subjects. This is the main reason students are less intersted in their relevant subjects.

On the other hand,it is necessary to keep fully concentrate on their degree because focus on their relevant subjects got them a highest marks and they can achieve their goals easily .

Therefore,it is essential to burn midnight oil to secure their degree and become perfect in their profession.For example, many degrees like doctors ,engineers, lawyers and IT wantsfull attention . That's why it is important to pay attention on their degree to become perfect on their profession.

From my perspective it is essential to focus on their relevant courses to achieve their desired goals.But from my point of view, it was not wrong to take interest in other subjects because having different aspects of knowledge is beneficial.

To conclude, it is more beneficial to pay full attention of their own degree to become a successful person in their profession.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and give a position: you explain why students may become interested in other subjects, then argue that concentrating on a qualification supports career goals. The examples about parental pressure in Pakistan and professions such as medicine and engineering are relevant. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The first view is explained mainly through friendship and dissatisfaction with a chosen degree, rather than showing clearly what students gain by studying additional subjects. The benefits of focusing on a qualification are also asserted—such as achieving higher marks—without much explanation or a specific example. Your opinion is present, but the conclusion stresses concentration on a degree more strongly than your earlier balanced view. Develop the reasons and clarify your position consistently.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, your opinion, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” help readers follow the discussion. Within paragraphs, however, progression is sometimes mechanical, with repeated “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Therefore.” Some links between ideas are not fully clear: the claim that students’ friendships lead them to study other subjects needs a more explicit explanation, and the point about parental pressure shifts from students’ lack of interest to the case for taking other courses. The opinion paragraph also repeats the preference for focusing on relevant courses without fully connecting it to the value of broader knowledge. Use clearer references and develop each paragraph around a more direct sequence of reason, explanation, and example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “qualification,” “relevant subjects,” “profession,” and the idiom “burn midnight oil.” This gives you enough range to discuss both academic choices and career aims. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “take interest in irrelevant courses,” “got them a highest marks,” and “become perfect in their profession.” Spelling errors, including “frienship,” “intersted,” and “wantsfull,” are also noticeable and can distract the reader. Some key terms, especially “degree,” “subjects,” and “focus,” are repeated frequently. Build a more precise set of expressions for discussing breadth of study and career preparation, and check spelling and collocations so your meaning is consistently clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “subjects which are not involved in their syllabus” and a reason clause beginning “because.” However, control is uneven, and errors occur in many sentences. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “students … wants to learn,” tense and agreement in “they spent time,” and article or plural errors in “a highest marks.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “Therefore,it is essential” and the run-on construction linking the claim about parents to the example. These problems sometimes make relationships between ideas harder to follow. Practise accurate agreement, articles, and verb forms, and use full stops or commas to separate clauses. Aim to make your complex sentences reliable before adding more variety.

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