Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Some university students believe that they should learn about other subjects in addition to their main subjects. Others argue it is more significant to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. In my opinion, exposure to other subjects should be necessary for the overall growth of a student.

Firstly, One of the biggest reason why students should give priority to other subjects as well is because of growth in their overall knowledge. Students should focus on improving their over knowledge as well other than their qualification. Furthermore, this will provide better opportunities in the future for students in different fields as well. For example, nowadays, having a skill is a must for individuals if they want to work in certain companies, students can open these kinds of opportunities for them by learning about other subjects.

Secondly, students often lose focus from their qualification if they are attending other subjects as well. This will hamper their qualification subject in the end. Moreover, learning about other subjects is time consuming because they already have to provide much of their time for the main subject. Addition of other subjects will just make it more time consuming for students to focus on other things as well. For instance, if a student has already scheduled their timing according to their qualification subject so they can prioritise other personal activities as well, then they would have to bring change to time table for other subjects.

In conclusion, although learning about other subjects can be time consuming and can make any student lose focus from the main subject. I believe that learning about other subjects can provide overall growth to the knowledge and will open better opportunities for the students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and state a clear preference in the introduction and conclusion: you support learning beyond a student’s main subject because it can broaden knowledge and create opportunities. The paragraph on the opposing view also gives relevant reasons, including the risk of losing focus and the extra time required. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The benefits are asserted rather generally, and the example about skills helping students work in “certain companies” does not explain which skills or how they help. The time-table example illustrates a scheduling problem but could be linked more directly to the effect on qualification study. Develop each point with a specific, explained example and make the comparison between the two views more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting views, and a conclusion that restates your position. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive or unclear. In the first body paragraph, “overall knowledge” and “overall growth” repeat a similar point, while the link between learning other subjects and gaining employment opportunities needs clearer explanation. The second paragraph moves from losing focus to time demands and then scheduling, but these ideas overlap. Use fewer formulaic transitions and make each sentence build on the previous one through clearer references and explanation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “qualification,” “prioritise,” “opportunities,” and “time consuming,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited, with repeated use of “other subjects,” “students,” and “focus.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “growth in their overall knowledge,” “provide better opportunities,” and “lose focus from their qualification.” These choices make parts of the argument less precise, even when the intended meaning can be inferred. Aim to use more natural academic combinations and vary repeated terms—for example, refer to “broader knowledge,” “career prospects,” or “concentrate on their degree requirements.” Check word forms and spelling, including “over knowledge,” which appears to be an error.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, using clauses with “because,” “if,” and “although,” and most of the main ideas remain understandable. However, control is uneven, and errors occur in both sentence construction and punctuation. For example, “One of the biggest reason” has a singular–plural agreement problem, while “students can open these kinds of opportunities for them” is difficult to follow structurally. The conclusion begins with “although” but is punctuated as a complete sentence before the main clause, leaving the relationship between the ideas awkward. There are also problems with articles and sentence boundaries. Practise checking agreement, clause connections, and punctuation, and aim to produce a wider range of accurate sentences rather than adding complexity without control.

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