Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-17
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)
There is an ongoing debate for the education purposes that the system focuses more on theoretical rather than practicals from the school to colleges. I am completely unison with view point and discuss my views in the upcoming paragraphs.
The first and foremost point I would put forth to shed light on my inclination is that learning skills is very beneficial for students because the by knowing the practical skills they can develop experience and in some parts of their lives it might be helpful. For example, for teaching the students how to manage the money. Giving classes makes them the independent financially in such a young age because it is very crucial to save and mange money.
moreover, learning practically makes them confident and by this skill they get higher opportunities to get job because the company higher the candidates who have more experience in the practical background. Therefore, the institutions have to provide enough practical knowledge to the students by internships and practical exams.
In conclusion, by providing the knowledge of more practical rather than theory students can improve their knowledge and confident in the practical field and also gain the long life lessons and the employement opportunities in various sectors.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
Your position is clear: you agree that education gives too much attention to theory, and you offer relevant reasons, including financial independence and better employment prospects. However, the response addresses the issue only partially because these points are asserted rather than fully explained or supported with specific examples. The money-management example is relevant, but it needs to show how practical teaching would work and what outcome it would produce. The employment point could also be developed with a concrete example. The response is 203 words, below the required 250, which limits the opportunity to develop your argument. Extend each main idea with explanation and evidence, and make the comparison between factual learning and practical skills more explicit.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. The ideas generally progress from the value of practical skills to their benefits for employment, and linking expressions such as “For example,” “Therefore” and “In conclusion” help signal these moves. This gives the essay a coherent overall arrangement. To make the progression more effective, ensure each paragraph develops one central point in a clear sequence; the first body paragraph moves quickly from experience to money management without fully connecting the ideas. Some transitions also feel mechanical, and “moreover” should begin with a capital letter. Use clearer links between claims and examples, and develop the body paragraphs more fully so the argument feels continuous rather than list-like.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “theoretical,” “practical skills,” “financially” and “employment opportunities,” so the reader can follow the main argument. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning less natural. Examples include “I am completely unison with view point,” “the company higher the candidates,” and “long life lessons.” Spelling errors such as “mange” and “employement” also reduce accuracy. Aim to learn common academic collocations and check word forms and spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “agree with this view,” “hire candidates,” and “lifelong lessons” would make your ideas clearer and more appropriate for an IELTS essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a reason clause beginning “because” and a sentence using “Therefore.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence construction, agreement, articles and punctuation sometimes make the reader pause. For example, “because the by knowing the practical skills they can develop experience” has an incomplete and confused structure, while “the company higher the candidates” lacks a correctly formed verb. The opening sentence also has an unclear grammatical relationship between its clauses. Practise building accurate sentences around one main clause, then add subordinate clauses only when their structure is secure. Check articles and agreement, and use full stops to separate ideas that have become too crowded.
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