Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-29
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)
Every child from primary school , secondary school to colleges, learns more about facts that state in the books instead of learning practical skills. Some people believe that it is very common to spent more time on facts then learn practical work. I agree with the statement and i shall explain everything in further paragraphs with examples.
On the one side, people believe that all level of education focus on teaching students more about factual things specially they learn the same books from more then centuries. For instance, English book have the same story of The invisible man I learned that story when i did my 10th grade in 2012 and since then schools still teach that novel. Instead of teaching students about the practical work of doing chemistry labs. Moreover, students never do any practical work in school, they always attend classes and learn whatever teacher teach them through. They only follow the book language and never think out side the box.
On the other hand side, there are people who wanted their children to work on practical things, such as learning boxing, karate, football, and badminton. However, learn about biology, chemistry, mathematics and physic through practical is also necessary. It is the responsibility of teachers to give students more practical work so that they can learn fast and excel in their subjects. Practical skills helps students to gets hands on knowledge and will encourage the students confidence in future to work in the field they select.
In conclusion, Practical skills are necessary to gets hands on knowledge instead of just learn the books language.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of outdated curricula and the need for hands-on experience in subjects like chemistry. However, the development is somewhat limited. The example of 'The invisible man' is specific but does not fully illustrate the broader argument about the lack of practical skills across all levels of education. The essay tends to over-generalize, claiming students 'never' do practical work, which weakens the argument. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced examples and ensure that the link between the lack of practical skills and the negative impact on students is more thoroughly explored.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one side', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion', which help the reader follow the argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as 'On the other hand side' (which is redundant) and the transition between ideas within paragraphs could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences occasionally feels disjointed due to grammatical errors that interrupt the logical progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body, and conclusion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely on basic terms like 'factual things', 'practical work', and 'books language'. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'state in the books' instead of 'stated in books' and 'physic' instead of 'physics'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the presence of these errors prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.
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 flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Practical skills helps'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'instead of just learn'), and misuse of prepositions. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they are frequent enough to be noticeable throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically verb tense consistency and pluralization, before attempting more complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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