Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-31

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)

Some university students believe that studying other subjects except their main subjects is more crucial to their studies, while others believe that it is more beneficial to only study their original course subjects. In this essay, I will explain both perspectives and give reasons and examples to justify that why I partially agree with both views.

On the one hands, the supporters of learning more subjects contend that it is very fruitful for their career planning. This is because by studying more subjects they will be getting more knowledge about many fields, which means they could get more options in choosing their professions. For instance, a student is studying law in the university and studying political science as well. The students will be able to get into the field of law as well as in journalism. Furthermore, studying additional subjects could be helpful in getting a good CGPA because the student should be able to get extra credits for the subject.

On the other hand, the proponents of giving all their time to studying only main course subjects maintain that studying more subjects is very disadvantageous to the students. This is because all the students cannot study many subjects with the same focus, which means they cannot get the same scores they want. Nevertheless, studying more subjects could be helpful in their career planing, but they should focus on the career plan they have decided before enrolling in the university.

In conclusion, every student should decide according to his or her ability and interest. I firmly believe both perspectives have their advantages, so university students should decide whether to study only main subjects or additional subjects as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and give a personal position, particularly in the introduction and conclusion, so the response is relevant to the task. The example of a law student also taking political science helps illustrate how additional study might broaden career options. However, the discussion is uneven: the benefits of studying other subjects receive an example, while the case for concentrating on a qualification is explained mainly through the general point that students may struggle to maintain focus. The claim that extra subjects can improve a CGPA is not explained and may need qualification. Your position that you “partially agree with both views” is also not developed into a clear judgement about when each approach is preferable. Extend and balance the reasoning to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two perspectives, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow. Within paragraphs, ideas generally connect through explanations, as in the link between studying additional subjects and having more career options. Some cohesion is mechanical, however, because several sentences repeat “This is because” or “which means.” The reference in “the career plan they have decided” is also not fully clear: it is unclear whether this refers to a plan made before university or a plan shaped by further study. Use more varied links and make references explicit to strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for discussing education and careers, including “career planning,” “additional subjects,” “qualification,” and “proponents.” These choices help communicate both sides of the issue, and the meaning remains clear despite some imprecise or unnatural expressions. For example, “studying other subjects except their main subjects” and “original course subjects” are less natural ways to describe subjects outside a student’s major. “Fruitful for their career planning” and “career planing” also show some difficulty with collocation and spelling. Aim for more precise academic phrasing and check word forms and spelling. More accurate collocations would make the argument sound more fluent without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses with “because” and “which means,” and most sentences communicate their meaning clearly. Some grammatical errors remain, but they rarely prevent understanding. For example, “On the one hands” has an incorrect plural form, and “justify that why” uses an unnecessary “that” before the indirect question. In “the student should be able to get extra credits,” the shift from plural students to singular student is not well controlled. The sentence beginning “Nevertheless” also joins contrasting ideas in a way that makes the relationship between them difficult to follow. Review agreement, clause construction, and punctuation, while continuing to use varied sentence patterns.

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