Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-10
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, many individuals argue that in educational sectors whether primary schools or universities, plenty of time is spent on learning facts rather getting knowledge of practical skills. As per my perspective, I extremely agree with this statement because pupils are forcing to memorize questions and answers for exams as well as, achieving good percentage.
To commence with this, in educational sectors, tutors force students to read questions and answers. This is because, they believe that if students read the chapters or memorize the question/answers, they will learn more quickly and effectively. For example, a survey was conducted in India in 2010, which depicts that 90% schools gave preference to teach theory to make pupils more knowledgeble. As a result, students become unable to get practical information.
Besides this, in today's era, getting good percentage or grades seems like big achievement.
To elaborate it, when a student got good grades in the exams then everyone believe that he/she is intelligent. For instance, one of my friend, Ram, got 95% in our 12th grade and he awarded with many awards. Therefore, other students are forced by their parents to do same like him.
To conclude, getting good percent in theoretical studies through memorizing question/answers and chapters make students more successful.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 208 words. This significant under-length results in a lack of depth and development in the arguments. While the ideas are relevant, they are under-developed; for instance, the conclusion contradicts the main argument by suggesting that memorization makes students successful, which undermines the position taken in the introduction. To improve, you must expand your supporting points with more detailed explanations and ensure your conclusion aligns with your initial stance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'To commence with this' and 'Besides this'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is functional, but the overall structure lacks the sophistication required for a higher band. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will help the ideas flow more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You rely on simple terms like 'good percentage', 'read', and 'force'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'knowledgeble' (spelling error) and 'do same like him' (unnatural phrasing). To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary, including less common lexical items and more precise collocations related to the topic of education and skill development.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'pupils are forcing to memorize' (passive voice error), 'he awarded with many awards' (missing auxiliary verb), and 'getting good percent... make students' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement before attempting more complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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