Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-02

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)

Many individuals believe that in every field of education, from the kindergarden section to university students, spendiing too much time on learning about the facts rather than implementing practically. I agree with the view that it is crucial to gain practical knowledge as it will gain more experience in real life and be independent.

To commence with the disagreement, being just a book worm will not help to survive in this era. In our education system it is vital to learn bookish language and cram the answers to write in the answer sheet. To explain this, they just make the students understand whatever is written in the book and learn it as it is. For example, teachers during the period in the school create the sense of creating the answers rather than explaing them the facts and figures. As a result, they are just surrounded with the limited information as whatever they are taught during the learning session.

Shifting towards viewpoint of agreement, gaining practical knowlege is the fundamental rule for enhancing one's personality. People feel confident when they know about the theoritical as well as practicality of the topic. To elaborate this, in this generation evrryone is so smart and it develops the skill in person as they can solve all the obstacles in life whenever they deal with it. For instance, the students in the accounting department will not be able to access anything without the practical implementation, just reading and understading from the textnook may not cure all the results. Hence, to learn anything you need to deal with all the possible outcomes in the real life.

Although, learning facts is a convenient source for any knowledge upliftment, practical knowledge will help to boost all in every sector of life and paths.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether too much time is spent on learning facts rather than practical skills, expressing partial agreement. However, the position is not always clearly maintained, and the ideas presented are somewhat limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion on being a bookworm in the second paragraph jumps between ideas without fully explaining how the current educational system fails to prepare students for survival. Similarly, the example regarding the accounting department in the third paragraph is underdeveloped and relies on general assertions rather than robust extension. To move to a higher band, the writer would need to fully develop their main arguments with clearer explanations and more detailed, relevant examples that consistently support the central position throughout the entire essay.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays some overall organization with clear paragraph breaks, but it lacks a clear progression of ideas from start to finish. The introduction attempts to set up the response, but the transition into the body paragraphs feels abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical, repetitive, or inaccurately applied, such as the awkward phrasings used to signal transitions like 'To commence with the disagreement' and 'Shifting towards viewpoint of agreement'. Furthermore, referencing is at times unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the exact logical thread of the arguments. To achieve a higher band, the writer must ensure that ideas progress logically and cohesively, using a wider and more natural range of linking devices without over-relying on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited in range, though minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, but this frequently results in noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and word form, such as 'book worm', 'bookish language', 'knowlege', 'theoritical', and 'practicality' instead of 'practical application'. There are also spelling errors like 'kindergarden' and 'evrryone', alongside awkward phrasing such as 'knowledge upliftment'. While these issues do not entirely block communication, they cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve in this area, the writer needs to expand their lexical repertoire and pay closer attention to natural word combinations, correct word forms, and accurate spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay relies on a limited range of grammatical structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause difficulty for the reader, including issues with subject-verb agreement, awkward clause structures, and missing or incorrect prepositions. Examples include 'spendiing too much time on learning about the facts rather than implementing practically' and sentences with missing subjects or fragmented thoughts. Punctuation errors also disrupt the flow of reading. To reach a higher band, the writer must demonstrate greater control over a wider variety of sentence structures, ensuring that simple sentences are accurate and that complex clauses are constructed correctly with fewer interfering errors.

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

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