Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-15

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 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. I personally agree with the latter view, as sharing some sensitive information could cause consequences.

One major reason why some information should not be shared freely is that it could negatively affect people's future. Sharing sensitive information including your national ID and passport, for example could ruin your whole citizenship if someone used it for harmful purposes against you. This could cause you a lot of trouble in the future. In addition, sharing information with people who you don't relatively know like an offer letter, this can cause you to lose your university application.

Some people would say that sharing data to people you trust can be safe. This can be true since sharing data with people you trust and know really well can actually help you in some situations like tell you if the offer letter is bad or good. However, it's not always the case because some people you trust might want bad things to happen to you even if they act nice towards you.

In conclusion, I believe that some information is too valuable or sensitive to be shared freely, as doing so can have negative consequences for people's future. Although sharing information with trusted people can sometimes be beneficial, it is important to be cautious about what information is shared.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. The prompt asks about scientific research, business, and the academic world, but the essay focuses almost exclusively on personal data (passports, offer letters). This narrow focus means the broader implications for scientific and business sectors are ignored, leading to an under-developed argument. While the position is consistent, the lack of breadth in addressing the specific contexts mentioned in the prompt prevents a higher score. To improve, you should provide examples that specifically relate to the fields of science or business, such as patent protection or corporate trade secrets.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'One major reason', 'In addition', and 'However', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the use of 'some people' to introduce both the opposing view and the counter-argument feels a bit formulaic. The referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be more sophisticated to improve the overall flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'bad things to happen' and 'ruin your whole citizenship'. While these communicate the meaning, they are not academic in tone. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but they are often used in a limited way. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific terminology related to research and business, such as 'intellectual property', 'proprietary information', or 'competitive advantage', rather than focusing solely on personal identity documents.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'people who you don't relatively know' (which is awkward and grammatically incorrect) and 'sharing data to people' (should be 'with'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are missing commas in complex sentences, such as after introductory clauses. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more accurate preposition usage would significantly improve your accuracy.

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