Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-01

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)

Few students of the university wish to learn about extra subjects in sum to their important subjects. Others trust that it is more significant to give all their time and focus to studying for a qualification.

On the one hand, studying other optional books which are out of course help to increase the reading skills, pronunciation, the imagination. This help to increase in knowledge ans also increase in communication and all other skills. It help to increase skills that help to find jobs in future. For example, the student who study in medical field also studying extra courses like learn computer skills they help to find jon on these skills in hospital.

On other hand, people believe that it is waste of time, students should focus on their essential books of their courses because these books required alot of time and attention to pass these subjects. If students pay many attention to the irrelevant books that are not in their course they lose their focus on their main course and at the end they don’t achieve high marks in class and lose the attention and teachers also blame them that they are not studying well. For instance, medical students pay attention on human body ,their diseases and all the problems of human body and also how to treat with all these problems.

In conclusion, studying other books help to increase in knowledge and all the other skills but we should pay attention to the main course that help to attain our aim but un extra time when you are free you should study extra course.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views: the first body paragraph argues that learning additional subjects can build skills and improve job prospects, while the second explains why students may need to concentrate on their qualification. Your examples, including a medical student learning computer skills and focusing on human-body topics, are relevant. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the benefits are listed rather than explained in detail, and the second example does not clearly show the consequences of dividing attention. Your own position is also not fully clear until the conclusion, where you recommend prioritising the main course while studying extras in free time. State this view directly in the introduction and support it consistently with a more specific example to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. The signposts “On the one hand,” “On other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes uneven. The first body paragraph moves from reading and pronunciation to communication, employment, and a medical-student example without clearly showing how each point connects. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “help to increase.” The final sentence combines several ideas and is difficult to follow. Group related points, use clearer references to earlier ideas, and make the conclusion a concise restatement of your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “qualification,” “optional,” “communication,” “essential,” and “focus,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the reader work to interpret your meaning. For example, “extra subjects in sum to their important subjects” and “optional books which are out of course” do not clearly express studying additional subjects outside a degree programme. There are also spelling errors such as “ans” and “jon,” and repeated reliance on “help to increase” and “attention.” Build a more precise set of phrases for discussing skills, course demands, and career benefits, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the contrast between the two views is understandable. However, the range is limited, and errors in sentence construction and basic grammar occur frequently enough to affect clarity. Examples include “This help to increase,” “It help to increase,” and “the student who study,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect. The sentence beginning “For example, the student who study…” also lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “when you are free you should study” shifts from discussing students in general to addressing the reader directly. Work on agreement, articles, and complete sentence patterns, and practise combining ideas with accurate subordinate clauses. Careful punctuation around longer sentences will also improve readability.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.