Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-12

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)

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.

Yes, I agree. In the Philippines where I took my primary education and college, we spend 8 hours a day for lecture in three and a half years and a half year for practical learning. For me it is a waste of time because not everyone learns better with just lecture. When I was on college, I was having a hard time to learn by just listening to the professor, I have learned most during my practical learning. As a registered primary school teacher, I can say that learners learn more with practical skills because that is the time when learners get involved. Especially with now's generation, learner's attention span is very short. Learners needs to get involved, do hands-on activities and get to the real world learning like economy, science and communication. Being open to make mistakes is also a part of learning. People makes mistakes and that is how learners learn to correct themselves. It is the type of learning that learners will keep in their mind for the rest of their lives.

Learning with just a pen and paper for the most part of the college is pointless, learners can easily forget without experience. Therefore, Learners learn better with practical skills than lectures because it is a type of leaning that gives quality and let the learners get to the real world. Getting involved that just listening is a quality learning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of practical skills. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you provide personal anecdotes from your experience in the Philippines, the arguments remain quite repetitive, focusing heavily on the idea that 'lectures are boring' and 'practical skills are better.' To achieve a higher band, you should expand on the broader implications of this issue, such as the necessity of theoretical knowledge as a foundation for practical application, or how different subjects might require different pedagogical approaches. The response is somewhat simplistic in its reasoning and lacks a more balanced or nuanced exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often mechanical. You rely on basic transitions like 'Therefore' and 'Especially,' and some sentences feel disconnected. The progression of ideas is repetitive, particularly in the final paragraph, which restates points already made in the body. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes inaccurate, such as the phrasing 'Getting involved that just listening,' which disrupts the logical flow. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a distinct, well-developed focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use basic terms like 'pointless,' 'waste of time,' and 'quality learning' repeatedly. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'now's generation' (should be 'today's generation') and 'get to the real world learning' (should be 'engage in real-world learning'). To improve, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary related to education and pedagogy, and focus on using words in their correct collocations to express your ideas more naturally and precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('People makes mistakes'), article usage, and awkward phrasing ('I was on college'). There are also punctuation errors and run-on sentences that affect the clarity of your arguments. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly verb tenses and pluralization, to ensure your sentences are error-free.

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

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