Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-27

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 5.5)

Many people believe that schools and universities devote too much time to teaching facts instead of practical skills. I strongly agree with this statement because practical abilities prepare pupils for real life challenges. This essay will discuss with valid reasons and appropriate examples.

The first argument put forward for stance is that, students have no patience. Moreover, they're not more comfortable with continuing sit with listening about topics.

Furthermore, sometimes they are not easily understand teaching with some points because they need to give examples with idea. Besides this, little pupils need to play instead of continue learning.

However, some may counter claim that too much time to teach as compare practical abilities.

To sum up, I strongly believe that educational institutions focus more on practical skills alongside academic knowledge. This would help students more confidents and capable for their future careers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 142 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you clearly state your position in the introduction, the supporting arguments are underdeveloped and lack sufficient explanation or relevant examples. The points regarding student patience and the need for play are mentioned but not expanded upon in a way that fully addresses the prompt's complexity. To improve, you must provide detailed explanations and concrete examples for each point to ensure the response is fully developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is disjointed. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'However', they are sometimes used mechanically or inappropriately, such as the transition into the counter-argument. The logical flow between sentences is often interrupted by grammatical errors, making it difficult for the reader to follow your line of reasoning. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting details that flow logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive. You rely on simple phrasing, such as 'teaching facts' and 'practical skills', which are taken directly from the prompt. There is little evidence of a range of vocabulary or the ability to use less common lexical items. Some word choices are awkward, such as 'little pupils' instead of 'young learners' or 'primary school students'. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to the topic of education.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'they're not more comfortable with continuing sit with listening', which is syntactically incorrect, and 'sometimes they are not easily understand teaching', which lacks proper verb structure. The range of sentence structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, you need to focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb forms, and the use of more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences, while ensuring they are grammatically accurate.

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