Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some countries, more and more people are hiring a personal fitness trainer, rather than playing sports or doing exercise classes. What are the reasons for this? Is this a positive or a negative development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In many countries, majority of people are preferring to have a personal fitness trainer instead joining the exercise classes and sports. There are some reasons behind it and it has both positive as well as negative impact. I will explain both in my forthcoming paragraphs.

It is evident that, in today's world people are so busy in their life. Firstly, some people are beginners that is why, they choose a trainer who can guide them in their daily life like what should they eat and at what time. For example, when i started gym i was not aware what should i have and which exercises are good to perform for my body at that time i hired a trainer for some time. Additionally, some need motivation as it is difficult for them to be consistent.

Furthermore, it has both negative as well as positive impacts. One of the biggest impact is you will be less socialize and sometimes gets irritated because of doing same activities everyday. On top of that, the timing of these clubs and sports center is not flexible. For instance, they have particular timing like 9am to 8pm that is not flexile. However, you have more flexibility when you have personal trainer.

To conclude, it has both positive and negative development. you get motivation and consistency that helped you a lot in this busy world. Although, you get socialize when you go to the community's sports club and it enhance your mental health as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for hiring personal trainers and an evaluation of whether this is a positive or negative development. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and the essay falls just short of the 250-word minimum, which impacts the overall task completion. While the reasons (guidance for beginners, motivation) are relevant, the discussion on whether it is a positive or negative development lacks depth and specific examples. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, ensure each point is expanded with more detailed explanation and ensure the word count requirement is met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'To conclude'. However, the flow between ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. For example, the transition between the reasons for hiring a trainer and the discussion of impacts is abrupt. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive to better guide the reader through the argument. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains somewhat basic. There are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'less socialize' instead of 'less social' or 'less socialization'. The student relies on common vocabulary and misses opportunities to use more precise or academic terminology. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and occasional errors in word choice prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on learning collocations and more sophisticated synonyms for common words like 'busy', 'good', and 'important' to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'majority of people are preferring' (should be 'the majority of people prefer'), 'when i started gym' (missing article 'the'), and 'it enhance your mental health' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. Increasing the accuracy of basic grammar and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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.