Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-16

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)

In this contemporary world, most of the people say that learning facts has more importance in children's lives rather than learning practical skills, which begins from primary school to universities. I strongly believe that this statement is true . In this essay, I will discuss these reasons for my opinion.

Firstly, many schools hardly have any equipment's to perform various experiments in the class. Today, due to the increasing population , the number of students in the classes has been increasing .Hence, the government is not able to provide all the necessary facilities to the children effectively. For instance, there is hardly one or two chemistry practical classes are conducting in a week in India for higher secondary students due to the lack of government funding. Hence, rising the population is a major concern today.

Secondly, people are not giving importance to the practical skills as compared to gaining basic knowledge ,nowadays. Individuals learns theories and get good grads in every classes and build a demanding future. Moreover, practical knowledge is not considering as an important part even in an interview selection process As a result, it is not significantly needed in people's lives.

In conclusion, every school has a few period for practical classes today. One main issue here is the lack of equipment's . This is because the Governments do not have a lot of money to spend on students due to the increased numbers. Hence, the importance of fact learning has been increasing tremendously in societies. Also, students are not getting any benefit from practical knowledge even for employment opportunities around the world. People are looking for practical knowledge today than even before.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you provide reasons for the focus on facts (lack of equipment and societal/employment pressures), the arguments are sometimes contradictory or unclear. For instance, in the conclusion, you state that people are looking for practical knowledge more than ever, which contradicts your earlier assertion that practical skills are not considered important. To reach a higher band, ensure your supporting points consistently reinforce your main argument and avoid internal contradictions. The ideas are relevant but could be extended with more logical depth.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

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 slightly inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'Hence' and 'Also'. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where the summary of your argument becomes muddled. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word-choice errors, such as 'hardly one or two chemistry practical classes are conducting' (should be 'conducted') and 'get good grads' (likely meant 'grades'). You rely on common, simple vocabulary throughout. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. Focus on using words in their correct grammatical form to ensure your meaning is always clear and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Individuals learns'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'is not considering'), and unnecessary pluralization (e.g., 'equipment's'). While the meaning is generally conveyed, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that passive and active voice constructions are used accurately.

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

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