Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-03

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 6.0)

In recent times, practical knowledge is more important than theoretical. However, the education system still focuses on

learning facts as compared to practical skills. I agree to this statement to some extent and my views are in the following paragraphs.

Firstly, job requirement has changed these days. The companies require hands on experience rather than just degrees. Secondly, the increase in blue collar jobs needs people to he perfect at their practical skills in order to perform a certain task. For example, a lot of western economies prefer technicians and plumbers over software engineers as immigrants to their countries. Along with that, focusing on skillset allows a person to chase his dream. Pilot profession is a perfect example for this. As only learning theories cannot fly an aircraft unless you are perfect at that skill.

On the contrary, learning facts are also necessary as they make a solid foundation. Moreover, by reading facts we get to know about the previous experiences, their failures and outcomes. Therefore, we get a direction to work on. For example, a technician also requires to go through a manual before performing any task. A sailor reads the notes of previous explorers in order to finish their project on time and in an effective way without facing any difficulties.

However, according to me practical training is necessary but without any theoretical practice is worthless. So, the education system needs to be designed and implemented in such a way that it can cater to today's needs and requirements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You acknowledge the importance of both theoretical and practical knowledge, which provides a balanced view. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding western economies preferring plumbers over software engineers is a broad generalization that lacks nuance. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed explanations or concrete evidence. While the task is addressed, the supporting points are brief and could be more thoroughly explored to demonstrate a deeper engagement with the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'On the contrary', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical. For example, the transition between the discussion of job requirements and the pilot example could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'I agree to this statement' without explicitly restating the core issue. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, but the use of cohesive devices could be more sophisticated and varied.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'theoretical', 'blue collar', and 'cater to today's needs'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'learning facts are also necessary' (should be 'is') and 'practical training is necessary but without any theoretical practice is worthless' (which is slightly awkward phrasing). While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and you rely on fairly common expressions. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common academic vocabulary to demonstrate greater flexibility and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use some complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect clarity. For example, 'I agree to this statement' should be 'I agree with this statement'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'learning facts are' instead of 'learning facts is', and 'a technician also requires to go through' instead of 'a technician also needs to go through'. Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and verb patterns will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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