Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-28

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 today's fast-paced world, individuals holds different views regarding the ways of tutoring and became a widely debated issue. While I agree with tutoring the theory is important. I believe that practical silks are important too .I partly agree with this statement , as there are valid arguments on both sides.

On the one hand , I agree with the view tutoring theory is important, the main reason for this is that building basic knowledge . This is because , if you know theory very well you implement it practically . For example, reading a manual for new equipment before operating it . Furthermore , theory builds up various skills like written , verbal communication , which makes this argument particularly convincing .

On the other hand , I do not completely agree with the statement because tutoring less practical skills.One of the important reason is that , working in professional.In other words , working in company doesn't rely only on theory , your practical knowledge would be evaluated too. For instance , working in IT company you need to mastered in language coding . Therefore, it would be unreasonable to assume that only theory is important comparatively to practical knowledge .

In summation , although I agree with tutoring theory , I believe that practical skills should also be taken into consideration . For that education institution must organize technology fest yearly . I partly agree with the statement , as the issue has both significant advantages and limitations.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both theory and practical skills. However, the position is somewhat contradictory; you state you agree with the importance of theory, then say you 'partly agree' with the statement, and finally conclude by suggesting practical skills should be added. The development of ideas is limited. For example, the point about IT companies needing coding skills is relevant but lacks depth. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout the essay and provide more detailed explanations for your arguments rather than listing them briefly. The conclusion introduces a new idea (technology fests) which was not previously discussed, which is not ideal for a balanced argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, 'In other words' is used incorrectly to introduce a new point rather than rephrasing a previous one. There are also issues with punctuation, such as spaces before commas (e.g., 'hand ,') and missing spaces after periods (e.g., 'skills .I'). These errors make the flow of the text feel disjointed. To improve, focus on using transition words more naturally and ensure that your sentences are logically linked to the main topic of the paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use basic terms like 'tutoring' (which is used incorrectly here; 'education' or 'instruction' would be better) and 'important' repeatedly. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'mastered in language coding' instead of 'mastery of coding languages'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid repeating the same adjectives. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you express your ideas with more sophistication and clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('individuals holds'), missing articles ('working in company'), and sentence fragments ('One of the important reason is that , working in professional'). While you attempt some complex structures, they are often marred by errors in syntax and punctuation. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb. Proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect verb forms will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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