Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-08

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)

Nowadays there is a ongoing debate about whether primary schools to universities spent a-lot of time on learning facts rather than practical knowledge.According to my opinion, I totally agree with this view.

First and foremost, From being a toddler till the age of adult schools and universities only focuses on learning the facts and whatever is printed on the books. There is a lack of practical skills and knowledge. We all are residing in a modern era where skill is more important than anything else so schools and universities must focus on providing skills like driving,cooking and many more.

In addition to this,if students are only limited to books they will surely become a bookworm and face enormous hurdles in the way to success.For instance, I have a close friend who did his Masters in business administration from toronto university but still he is not able to have a good job but because he dont have any good skill so I personally think that a education is totally useless without having any practical skills.

Morever, I have a sister who did her studies in culinary and she keeps on giving her theory exams regarding to recipes and procedures but in real life, She is not even able to cook well. So overall, education system should emphasis more on skills rather than facts.

To conclude, skills are the more important than the facts taught in the schools and universities

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the ideas regarding the necessity of practical skills are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped. For instance, the examples provided (driving, cooking, and the friend's MBA) are simplistic and lack the necessary elaboration to fully support the argument. The conclusion is also very brief and does not effectively summarize the main points. To improve, you should expand on your examples and ensure your arguments are fully explored to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'First and foremost', 'In addition to this', and 'Morever' (spelled incorrectly) are used to link ideas, but the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the example about the friend, where the sentence structure becomes convoluted. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good job', 'good skill', and 'useless'. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'residing in a modern era' (living in) and 'did her studies in culinary' (culinary arts). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more sophisticated or precise vocabulary limits your score. Try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid repeating simple adjectives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede readability. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('schools and universities spent', 'he dont have'), incorrect article usage ('a education'), and punctuation errors (missing spaces after commas). The sentence structure is often repetitive, and the lack of control over basic grammar rules is noticeable. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that your complex sentences are punctuated correctly.

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

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