Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-06
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Nowadays many people complain that they have difficulties getting enough sleep. What problems can lack of sleep cause? What can be done about lack of sleep?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
In this contemporary era, many people suffer from lack of sleep and sleep is a vital part of life.There are many reasons that can affect their sleep.In the upcoming paragraph let’s discuss the problems with examples.
Sleep is not only resting body but also relaxing your mind as well and In this busy life people find hard to get enough sleep. First and foremost reason is time because people don’t get enough time for themselves. They have busy schedules and living their life on fast pace to cover everything. Moreover people spend their most of time in evening on social media or entertainment which leads to less time for sleep. Another reason in my knowledge is overthinking because if people go to bed early or on time still they unable to sleep because there are lot of things running in their mind. Sometimes people plan their next day schedule before sleep which is good but continue thinking take them to overthinking. In my personal experience my father also faced the same problem because he is a businessman and he is a well organised person. He keep his things well prepared and punctual for his time but after finishing all the work he is unable to get enough time for sleep but now we reduce his load by helping him in his work and he is much more relaxed than before.
In conclusion people can get enough sleep by managing their time because getting 8 hours sleep is good for every person they can be more productive and energetic.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the problems caused by lack of sleep and potential solutions. However, the development is uneven. While you mention overthinking and time management, the 'problems' part of the prompt is largely ignored in terms of specific consequences (e.g., health issues, cognitive decline, or workplace accidents). The essay focuses more on the causes of sleep deprivation rather than the effects. To reach a higher band, you must ensure that both parts of the question are explored with equal depth. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully summarize the points discussed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into three paragraphs, but the structure is somewhat mechanical. While there is a logical progression, the use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition 'First and foremost reason' is followed by 'Moreover' and 'Another reason,' which is acceptable but basic. The paragraphing is functional, but the introduction is quite abrupt. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that ideas are linked more fluidly using a wider variety of cohesive devices to guide the reader through your argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on common phrases like 'busy life,' 'fast pace,' and 'well organised.' There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'resting body' instead of 'resting the body' and 'continue thinking take them to overthinking' which is slightly awkward. To increase your score, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to sleep hygiene, physiological effects, or psychological well-being, and work on more natural collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Issues include missing articles ('in evening'), subject-verb agreement ('He keep his things'), and awkward phrasing ('if people go to bed early or on time still they unable to sleep'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods and commas. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly the use of auxiliary verbs and articles, before attempting more complex structures.
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.