Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07

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 this modern era, Schools and Universities are focusing on theoretical studies rather than practical, it is not a good way to learn students. However, practical skills has own benefits and values. I agree with this statement and i will describe the benefits of practical skill in upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, all parents and teachers think that if their children studies books then they will have better future in their life. Whereas, students can only learn what they see. For example, one can learn the practical experiment much easier than the reading books because they see the procedure that how to do measurements.

Moreover, people can learn the practical skill by doing by own. For instance, learning guitar is very hard if one can learn from books, but on the other hand if he play by own then he can learn easily and make some music by own.

On the flip side, theoretical is also important for life if person does not know the procedure of working principle behind the equation then nobody can learn practical skills. For example, books are important for our life, if one can learning a new language then books are the only way to learn that language.

In conclusion, all campus are targeting that students learn more theoretical than practical but without practical theory is nothing. So, all what is required logical, rational and productive.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is stated clearly: “I agree with this statement,” and you give relevant examples involving science experiments and learning guitar. You also acknowledge the value of theory, so the response addresses both sides of the issue. However, the discussion is only partially developed: the examples are brief, and the claim that “all parents and teachers” favour book learning is broad and unsupported. The conclusion, “all what is required logical, rational and productive,” does not clearly explain what balance between facts and practical skills you recommend. The response is also 19 words below the required minimum. To strengthen your answer, explain the consequences of an imbalance and develop each example with more specific detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, two paragraphs supporting practical learning, a paragraph recognising theory, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “To begin with,” “Moreover,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the sequence. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “Whereas” does not clearly link the claim about parents and teachers to the point that students learn by seeing, and “On the flip side” introduces a contrast without fully explaining how it qualifies your agreement. References such as “all what is required” also make the final point difficult to follow. Use linking phrases to show precise relationships between ideas, and make each paragraph’s main point explicit before giving its example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “theoretical studies,” “practical skills,” “procedure,” and “measurements.” There are also attempts to express contrast and evaluation, such as “benefits and values.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural, sometimes making meaning less clear: “learn by doing by own,” “make some music by own,” and “all campus are targeting” are examples. Repetition of “practical” and “learn” also limits flexibility. Aim for more precise phrases, such as “hands-on experience,” “apply theoretical knowledge,” and “educational institutions prioritise.” Check that chosen expressions fit naturally in the sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if one can learn from books” and a contrastive sentence beginning “but on the other hand.” However, complex attempts are often faulty, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction can make the reader pause. For example, “practical skills has” should use a plural verb, while “if their children studies books” has an incorrect verb form. In “if he play by own,” the verb form is also incorrect. Capitalisation and punctuation need attention, including the lowercase “i” and the comma splice in the opening sentence. Practise building accurate clauses first, then combine them using clear conjunctions.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.