Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-19

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)

Getting practical skills is being one of the debatable issues in this contemporary society. It is argued by some individuals that enough time is spending on learning programs instead of practical skills. I completely disaccord with the given statement and will explore this essay in upcoming paragraphs before concluding it.

Commencing with the prominent reason that why more time is using on learning facts is to enhance critical thinking through discussion . To elaborate, as team work helps to understand and develop the knowledge about a particular task , learners try to get more in order to collect information. Consequently, their cognitive ability and confidence level reach at peak and they perform accurately not only in learning processes but also in mechanical skills.

Probing ahead , going to educational institutions helps students to develop basic skills before opt any occupation. In addition, they access to libraries and laboratories on daily basis where they interact with distinct equipments and learn to operate them. Due to the usage of these tools they meet the demands of the modern workforce which is useful for their career. Henc

To conclude, although long hour classes or educational activities are taking much time on reading and writing assignments but some practical activities such as making models, presentational tasks , cooking classes are making students more productive and thoroughly they gain practical experience.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you state your position clearly in the introduction, the arguments are underdeveloped. For instance, the paragraph regarding critical thinking lacks a concrete example to support the claim that learning facts leads to better mechanical skills. Furthermore, the essay ends abruptly with an incomplete sentence ('Henc'), and the conclusion does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, you must expand your supporting points with specific examples and ensure the essay reaches the required length to allow for a full exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by the incomplete ending and the abrupt transition between ideas. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Consequently' and 'In addition', they are sometimes used mechanically or with grammatical errors. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the lack of a proper conclusion due to the unfinished final sentence disrupts the overall flow. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, fully developed topic sentence that connects back to your main argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward word choices or incorrect collocations, such as 'disaccord with the given statement' (disagree) and 'enough time is spending' (being spent). You attempt to use academic vocabulary like 'contemporary society' and 'cognitive ability', which is positive, but these are often undermined by basic errors in word form. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that you use words in their correct grammatical form within the context of your sentences.

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 clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('more time is using' instead of 'is used'), incorrect verb tenses, and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and the incomplete sentence at the end. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately without missing auxiliary verbs.

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

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