Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-01

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 5.0)

Rather than focusing on practical expertise, all educational institutes invest most of their time on teaching theoretical knowledge which is believed by some individuals. Although learning facts are significant for the children, I believe that concentrating on practical skills is also important which provide real-life experiences and help them to understand the facts.

On the one hand, the educational institutes should not only focus on academic education but also teach practical skills to the students. By learning these skills, children can get hands-on experiences and can collect plenty of informations about certain topic. For example, of school organize activities for financial savings along with theory, children will learn real-life experience which will help in the future. Furthermore, it will also beneficial for some children who do not understand facts just by learning. When they physically or virtually apply their knowledge, they can easily understand and excel them.

On the other hand,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, stopping abruptly at only 151 words. Furthermore, because the student's response is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence on the second paragraph, the task is only partially addressed and the main position cannot be fully developed or sustained. While the introduction attempts to present a view on theoretical knowledge versus practical skills, the abrupt termination prevents any counter-argument or proper conclusion from being formed. To reach a higher level, the writer must ensure the full length requirement is met and that all parts of the prompt are fully discussed with extended and supported ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some basic organizational structure present, utilizing standard cohesive markers such as 'On the one hand' to introduce the first main body paragraph. However, the overall progression of the essay is severely hindered by the incomplete text that halts abruptly in the middle of a sentence, preventing logical development. Paragraphing is attempted, but the lack of a complete second body paragraph and conclusion means that cohesive devices and referencing cannot be managed effectively across the whole essay. Improving cohesion requires completing the text with clear organizational links, maintaining a smooth logical flow from introduction through balanced body paragraphs to a final concluding thought.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to incorporate relevant subject-related terms such as 'theoretical knowledge', 'practical expertise', and 'hands-on experiences'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and unidiomatic word choices, such as treating the uncountable noun 'information' as a plural ('informations') and phrasing like 'of school organize activities' where prepositions and word forms are incorrect. There is also some repetition of words like 'facts' and 'skills'. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, use less common lexical items with greater precision, and eliminate word form and collocation errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, with basic forms dominating and attempts at complex structures resulting in noticeable errors. There are frequent issues with grammatical accuracy, including subject-verb agreement problems such as 'learning facts are significant' instead of 'is', and awkward phrasing like 'it will also beneficial' missing a verb. Punctuation and article usage also show occasional lapses. While the errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they are frequent enough to cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, the writer should practice forming complex sentences accurately, ensure correct subject-verb agreement, and thoroughly proofread for missing verbs and incorrect prepositions.

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