Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that in all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, too much time is spent on learning facts and not enough on learning practical skills.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 4.0)

It has been observed that schools and universities are paying more attention to the theoritical part of a study as compare to actual practical skills. If questioned I will agree with this statement. My preference will justified in the upcoming paragraphs with the valid reasons and appropriate examples.

Scruitinising the facts from the grassroots level, the foremost one is that

The reason for my inclination

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You state a clear position—“I will agree with this statement”—and introduce the topic of theoretical study versus practical skills. However, the response does not develop that position: the promised “valid reasons and appropriate examples” are not provided, and the sentence beginning “the foremost one is that” is left unfinished. The final fragment, “The reason for my inclination,” also gives no supporting argument. As a result, the task is addressed only minimally, with no explanation of why education should give more attention to practical skills or any relevant example. The response also falls 185 words short of the required minimum. To improve, explain at least two reasons, support them with specific examples, and complete the essay with a conclusion that restates your view.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The opening gives the reader a basic direction: you introduce the issue and state that you agree. You also signal an intention to organise the discussion with “the upcoming paragraphs.” However, the response does not progress beyond this introduction. “Scruitinising the facts from the grassroots level” leads into an unfinished clause, and the separate fragment “The reason for my inclination” does not connect to a developed point. Consequently, there is no clear sequence of supporting ideas, paragraph development, or conclusion, and the reader cannot follow an argument. Build a complete structure with an introduction, one paragraph for each reason, and a conclusion. Use linking expressions to show how each example supports your position rather than leaving signposts without the ideas they introduce.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “theoretical,” “practical skills,” and “education,” and phrases such as “valid reasons” show an attempt to use a more formal register. However, the range is narrow because the response is very short, and several choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural: “theoritical” is misspelled, “as compare to” is not the appropriate comparison phrase, and “Scruitinising” is misspelled and awkward in this context. “Grassroots level” is also unclear when discussing the structure of an argument about education. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding your general position, but they limit precision. Aim for accurate, natural collocations such as “theoretical knowledge,” “compared with,” and “from primary school onwards,” and use vocabulary to explain specific reasons and examples.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes a few simple sentence patterns and an attempt at a conditional opening in “If questioned I will agree with this statement.” However, the range is very limited, and the unfinished clauses—“the foremost one is that” and “The reason for my inclination”—show that several sentences are not complete. There are also grammatical problems in “My preference will justified,” where the verb phrase is missing “be,” and “paying more attention to the theoritical part of a study as compare to actual practical skills,” where the comparison structure is not formed correctly. The opening conditional would also read more naturally with a comma after “questioned.” Practise completing each sentence with a subject and finite verb, and check verb forms and comparison patterns before submitting.

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

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