Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-05

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)

P1. opinion: motivation, knowledge. Ex. teacher who loves his job, low salary,

P2. future, more opportunities. Ex. friend was employed as a researcher bc good qualification

In recent years a few university students wish to learn about multiple subjects in addition to their main subjects, this fact can have multiple reasons, such as motivation for adquiring knowledge beyond typical topics, or just the desire of complementing their main themes with more updated information. In contrast, others think it is more relevant to emphasize all their attention and time to studying for a good grade, probably because they are looking for different chances in their future, for example, to become a researcher or apply for a job position where it is required specific qualifications.

During my college years, I had the opportunity to see these two reasoning. Particularly talking about the first one, I had a teacher who was always motivated and excited for showing us a new lecture about artificial intelligence, geographic information systems and earth observation, topics whose were completely different to our main subject, algebra. But, even though his salary was very low, his passion and his spirit for learning and sharing the knowledge was everything for him. The recognition, the number of degrees or his reputation, all those things he did care. Everything was about knowledge.

On the other hand, I had another friend who decided to apply for a master's degree programme abroad, and according to him, he needed to achieve at least a GPA of 9.5/10, something that was ridiculous for the rest of the group of friends, however, during the university years he didn't care about learning a new technique, or skill, like drawing, he only focused in one thing, his GPA. However, he did not make it, but he achieved an overall 9.3, and despites he could not apply for his master's programme, he had a very good job offer from one of the best companies in the country.

To summarise, these two arguments about getting addtional courses during university time or focusing more on qualifications depends of the goals of every student, and both points of view can be plausibles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both views and give relevant examples: the teacher’s interest in learning beyond algebra illustrates broader study, while your friend’s focus on GPA and later job offer represents prioritising qualifications. Your conclusion also recognises that the choice depends on students’ goals. However, your own position is not fully explicit: the opening describes the two views, and the conclusion says both can be plausible without clearly stating which you consider more important or how you weigh them. Some points are also under-developed, particularly the benefits of studying additional subjects and the connection between your friend’s experience and the value of concentrating on a qualification. State your view directly and explain the examples’ significance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two perspectives, and a concluding summary. Transitions such as “In contrast” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the comparison, and the examples are placed in relevant paragraphs. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. “During my college years, I had the opportunity to see these two reasoning” does not smoothly introduce the examples, and the long opening sentence combines several ideas without a clear progression. The final paragraph repeats the two positions rather than drawing them together through a definite judgement. Use clearer topic sentences and more precise referencing, and make each paragraph’s central point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the topic, including “motivation,” “qualifications,” “master’s degree programme,” “GPA,” and “job offer.” These terms make the examples specific, and phrases such as “apply for a job position” show an attempt to use more formal language. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, however, including “adquiring knowledge,” “complementing our main themes,” “these two reasoning,” and “both points of view can be plausibles.” Spelling errors such as “addtional” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural academic collocations and check word forms: for example, use “acquiring knowledge,” “complementing our main subjects,” and “both points of view are plausible.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including clauses beginning with “even though,” “because,” and “however,” and the main ideas remain understandable. Some grammatical errors occur across the response. For example, “topics whose were completely different” has an incorrect relative structure, while “he only focused in one thing” has an inaccurate preposition within the pattern. In “the recognition, the number of degrees or his reputation, all those things he did care,” the sentence structure and word order are difficult to control. There are also issues with articles and agreement, as in “where it is required specific qualifications” and “both points of view can be plausibles.” Practise accurate clause construction and review agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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