Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-04

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 5.0)

Some people think that it is beneficial disclose as much knowledge as possible while others consider certain types of information to be private and not to be disclosed. I personally resonate with the latter idea that information that is sensitive should not be moving around.

The concept of sharing information is for betterment of society. Useful information when provided to the concerned departments can help them flourish. Collaborative research can be practiced by researchers across the world by progressing and making on others data. For instance , the Covid-19 vaccines were a result of collaborative research and it resulted in saving many lives. Allowing people to access knowledge would not diminish it but will instead spread it as more ground for individual and team work will be available.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under-length at 128 words, failing to meet the 250-word minimum requirement. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you introduce both sides of the argument and state a personal position, the development is severely limited. You provide one example regarding Covid-19 vaccines, but you do not fully explore the opposing view or provide sufficient support for your own opinion. To improve, you must expand on your arguments with more detailed explanations and examples to ensure all parts of the prompt are fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay shows a basic level of organization. You use a clear structure with an introduction and a body paragraph, and there is some attempt at logical progression. However, the lack of a conclusion and the brevity of the text make it difficult to assess your ability to manage cohesion over a full-length essay. You use some cohesive devices like 'For instance' and 'instead', but the overall flow is interrupted by the abrupt ending. To improve, ensure you include a clear introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a concluding summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use phrases like 'betterment of society' and 'concerned departments', which are functional but somewhat generic. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'moving around' to describe information, which is too informal for an academic essay. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and a wider variety of vocabulary related to the topic of research and intellectual property.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Allowing people to access knowledge would not diminish it but will instead spread it'. However, there are grammatical errors that affect clarity, such as 'making on others data' (should be 'building on others' data') and the missing 'to' in 'beneficial disclose'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, specifically the spacing before the comma in 'For instance ,'. To improve, focus on proofreading for small grammatical slips and ensure you are using a wider range of complex structures with greater accuracy.

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.