Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-29

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 recent times, the majority of people complain about troubles with sleeping due to work stress and lack of money. Although fatigue and migrain is a problem caused by insomnia, regular exercise can help to combat this issue.

People that have difficulty in sleeping get tired easily. When a person stays awake all night, the body lacks the rest that it needs to function properly the next day which often result in dizziness and headache , making it difficult to work effectively. For instance, when workers get home from work and stay awake all night while using depleted energy from the previous day to work again the following day, It can eventually lead to low energy for work output. Therefore, this can often lead to poor health and lack of productivity in a workplace.

However, Regular workout routines can help to address this issue. Research has shown engaging in extra-curricula activities such as cycling, swimming and walking can help improve sleeping. When a person takes at least fifteen minutes walk daily, it helps to calm the mind, regulate the body temperature, and increases blood flow which can improve night rest. Consequently, individuals have poor sleeping routine should participate in any exercise of their choice to improve their sleep.

In conclusion, deprivation of sleep can lead to low energy levels and ill health which can affect peoples phyical output and work, but engaging in consistent sports activities can help to mitigate this phenomenon and improve their sleeping routines in bed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying problems caused by lack of sleep, such as fatigue and low productivity, and proposing solutions like regular exercise. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in the content, such as the misspelling of 'migraine'. Furthermore, the response falls short of the official length requirement, containing only 249 words against the 250-word minimum. This results in a slight penalty under Task Achievement. Despite these limitations, the position is generally clear and relevant ideas are presented, aligning with the criteria for Band 5.5 to 6.0. Given the under-length penalty, a band score of 5.5 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognizable overall structure with an introduction, body paragraphs discussing problems and solutions, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally repetitive, and cohesive devices are at times mechanical or somewhat awkward, such as 'For instance, when workers get home from work and stay awake all night while using depleted energy from the previous day to work again the following day, It can eventually lead to...' where referencing and sentence boundaries become slightly tangled. Overall, the writing demonstrates a coherent arrangement that is generally easy to follow, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'extra-curricula activities', 'regulate', and 'mitigate'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'migrain' (migraine), 'phyical' (physical), and awkward phrasing like 'poor sleeping routine should participate in any exercise'. While these lexical errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the score from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the intended meaning, placing it firmly at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. There are, however, several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the essay. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'the majority of people complain... Although fatigue and migrain is a problem', capitalization errors such as 'It can eventually lead to', and missing articles. Additionally, some sentences are overly convoluted and contain run-on structures. These errors occasionally cause difficulty or require rereading, but they do not completely obscure the message, which justifies a Band 5.5 score.

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

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