Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-05

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)

In modern times, the issue of sharing information has become a highly controversial issue. There are those who say that share as more detail as possible, however others believe that some information are too significant and valuable to share. In this essay I will examine both side of the argument and provide my personal opinion.

Generally speaking, there are two main reasons why people believe that sharing details should be free as much possible (scientific research, business and academic world). Perhaps the main reason why individuals are in favor of this idea is that students can be encouraged into research in different things. As a result, they become capable to gain extra knowledge about science and discovered many new things, like robot. Another further point in favor of sharing more info as possible is that new companies and entrepreneurs will grow in business sector. For instance, if renowned clothes brand share their business strategy with young individuals, then it will be attracted young entrepreneurs to build their own business. This will create new entrepreneurs and as a result, the country's economy will benefit.

Despite these arguments, there is also a case for the idea that some information is too essential or too valuable to be shared freely. The main reason why people think that this is a good idea is that it hampers national security. There is a lot of information that, if shared, could jeopardize the country's security and cause a lot of damage to a country such as cyber-attack. Secondly, if internal information of large companies is made public, they face business losses. As a result, many employments may lose their job.

In conclusion, it must be said that sharing information has become a complex issue with no easy solution. Despite argument of the contrary, I strong believe that only as much information should be shared as is necessary to avoid harm and benefit others.

AI examiner evaluation

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. For instance, the example of 'robot' is vague, and the explanation of how sharing business strategies attracts entrepreneurs is slightly underdeveloped. While the position is clear, the arguments could be more thoroughly extended with more specific, sophisticated examples to reach a higher band. The response is balanced, but the depth of analysis remains at a general level throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Generally speaking', 'Another further point', and 'Despite these arguments'. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the use of 'As a result' twice in close proximity. Additionally, some referencing is slightly awkward, such as 'argument of the contrary' in the conclusion, which slightly impacts the flow. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'entrepreneurs', 'jeopardize', and 'cyber-attack'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'share as more detail as possible' instead of 'share as much detail as possible' and 'many employments may lose their job' instead of 'many employees'. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the message, but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('some information are too significant'), incorrect comparative structures ('share as more detail as possible'), and awkward phrasing ('they become capable to gain extra knowledge'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. More attention to articles, prepositions, and verb forms would improve the accuracy significantly.

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

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