Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-04
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Write about the following topic: Some people believe that it is good to share as much information as possible in scientific research, business and the academic world. Others believe that some information is too important or too valuable to be shared freely. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Some people think that it is good to share more information about scientific research, buisness and academic field to people as they get to know about the things which will be beneficial for them either in studies or in buisness. While, others believe that there are some informations which are much valuable and if they share them freely someone will use them to harm others. But i think that there should be a balance between the informations which can be shared freely and which cannot be shared publically. On the one hand, some people argue that informations related to academic world, buisness and scientific research should be shared publically as many people will get benefit from these informations. Furthermore, if someone shares information related to buisness like which strategies make him a successfull buisnessman, other people will get inspiration from him and they will follow the same strategies to grow their buisness. Moreover, if informations about academic field are shared to students they will get to know about the things which can ensure their success in this field. On the other hand, some people believe that there are some sensitive informations which should not be shared freely because criminals can use these informations to harm others. They can use these informations to perform criminal activities. Like, if any criminal get to know about the sensitive information of any scietific research, they can use these information for their personal benefits and can put life of others in danger. In conclusion, I think that there should be balance in sharing informations means those informations which can be used to harm others must be hidden from people. And the informations which are not harmful should be shared publically.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both sides of the argument and providing a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The arguments regarding business strategies and academic success are repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the point about 'strategies to grow their business' is a good start but could have been extended with a specific example of how open-source research or patent laws function in reality. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments rely on generalisations rather than detailed exploration, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and the use of referencing is sometimes repetitive. For example, the phrase 'these informations' is used repeatedly to link ideas, which makes the cohesion feel slightly forced. Improving the variety of linking words and using pronouns or synonyms to avoid repetitive noun phrases would enhance the logical flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There is a recurring error with the word 'informations', which is an uncountable noun and should not be pluralised. Additionally, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, with 'information' and 'business' appearing frequently. To improve, you should focus on using a wider range of synonyms and collocations, such as 'proprietary data', 'intellectual property', or 'transparency', to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage (e.g., 'the academic world', 'a successful businessman'). The misuse of 'informations' as a plural noun is a persistent error throughout the text. While the errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and pluralisation rules would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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