Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-20

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)

Nowadays, many people don't get enough sleep due to their busy lifestyles, workload and exccessive use of electronic devices. Lack of sleep might cause serious health problems, however there are effective ways to tackle this issue.

One major issue by a lack of sleep is metal health and physical. Some people use their mobiles or laptops before bedtimes can cause their sleeping schedule. Many individuals who sleep less often exhausted, stressed and unable to concentrate. As a result, they may perform poorly at work or school and makes mistakes. Furthermore, not getting enough sleep for a long time are at risk to cause serious problems such as obesity, depressed and mental breakdown.For instance, those students who sleep less before the exam may find out difficulty to remember important informations.

There are several effective ways to reduce this tackle. First, people should follow their sleeping schedules for going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday. They should also avoid using mobile phones or laptops before bedtime as the screen at night can harmful for mental health and make it harder to fallen asleep. Futhermore, they make it habit to exercise daily early in the morning, use of a healthy diet and reduce caffine intake in the evening which effects your sleep time. Employers and schools may support by encouraged them to make healthy and balanced lifestyle and avoiding unncessary workload.

In conclusion, people who have difficulty for not getting enough sleep may follow their healthy routine and avoid using electronic devices before bedtime.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the consequences of sleep deprivation and potential solutions. The ideas are relevant, such as mentioning health issues like obesity and the impact on academic performance. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the consequences are clearly identified, the solutions section is a bit list-like and could benefit from more detailed explanation. For instance, the suggestion to 'exercise daily' is mentioned but not fully explored in terms of how it specifically aids sleep. The position is clear throughout, and the response covers all requirements of the task effectively, though it lacks the depth required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for problems and solutions, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion', which help the flow of ideas. However, there are instances where the connection between sentences is slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'There are several effective ways to reduce this tackle'. The referencing is generally clear, but some transitions between ideas feel abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'mental breakdown', 'caffeine intake', and 'balanced lifestyle'. However, there are several errors in word choice and form, such as 'reduce this tackle' (instead of 'address this issue'), 'make it habit' (instead of 'make it a habit'), and 'fallen asleep' (instead of 'fall asleep'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the intended meaning. A wider range of precise vocabulary would be needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Many individuals who sleep less often exhausted' should be 'are often exhausted'), incorrect preposition usage ('difficulty for not getting' should be 'difficulty due to not getting'), and awkward phrasing ('screen at night can harmful'). While the meaning remains clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction limit the score. More attention to verb forms and sentence structure is required to improve.

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

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