Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-25

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 recent years, the considerable amount of individuals have argued that the educational institutes are excessively focused on academic knowledge rather than practical experience. I largely agree with this perspective because students are deprive from abilities, which are essential in everyday life and at workplace.

To begin with, learning centers are gradually emphasizing on theoretical work and most students spend their life to learn formulas, memorizing concepts while doing insufficient hands-on training, which is vital as academic qualification because it is a most effective way to implement rigorous theoretical concepts in real-world to enhance their lifestyle in terms of manage their budge, take more responsibilities and foster to problem-solving skill. These qualities can be cultivated by applying them in daily routine instead of recalling information solely. For instance, educators who have a relevant knowledge of their work are empowered to obtain a decent job because it enables them to manage their resume and finances.

Another supportive reason is improving professional knowledge before going on work. In other words, when people acquire essential practical experience through internships, work placements or in the labs, they become eligible to handle complexity

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 188 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, as the essay is incomplete and ends abruptly mid-sentence. While you clearly state your position in the introduction, the arguments are underdeveloped due to the lack of length. To improve, you must ensure you provide a full introduction, two or three well-developed body paragraphs with specific examples, and a clear conclusion. The current response is too brief to fully address the prompt's requirements for a balanced discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with' and 'Another supportive reason', which helps the reader follow the intended structure. However, the abrupt ending and the lack of a concluding paragraph negatively affect the overall flow. Paragraphing is present, but the development within those paragraphs is insufficient. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that ideas are linked more fluidly. The mechanical nature of the transitions could also be improved by using a wider variety of cohesive markers to connect sentences more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'theoretical work', 'rigorous', and 'cultivated'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'considerable amount of individuals' (should be 'number of'), 'deprive from' (should be 'deprived of'), and 'manage their budge' (should be 'budget'). These errors occasionally hinder the precision of your expression. To improve, focus on learning the correct prepositional usage and collocations associated with the academic vocabulary you are attempting to use.

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 affect clarity. Examples include 'educational institutes are excessively focused' (should be 'educational institutions'), 'emphasizing on' (should be 'emphasizing'), and 'foster to problem-solving skill' (should be 'foster problem-solving skills'). Additionally, the sentence 'students are deprive from abilities' contains a passive voice error. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of verb patterns to improve your accuracy.

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

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