Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-12
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)
It is often argued that it is better to share valuable data as much as possible in research field, business and the academic world, while others believe that some data is very valuable and vital it should not be given to anyone. I will discuss both views of this essay and give explanation why I believe that the valuable and the most important information related to your personal work should not be shared freely.
On the one hand, sharing the knowledge with others is very beneficial because it can help in many ways to understand that field efficiently. For instance, you can help others in the subjects, by sharing knowledge how to start up your own business, and mainly in research filed by giving them suggestions how you can do research. Therefore, sharing the knowledge that benefits both parties is good.
On the other hand, it is important to not share your personal data exclusively related to your business, research field and studies that indirectly harms you. For example, if your share your research work and results freely to anyone, then it might be possible that they steal your work and published with their own names. Additionaly, if they are not in your favour and become jealous, then in business they might try to harm you. Therefore, they can make you suffer the financial challenges and might destroy your company reputation.
In conclusion, whether it is good to share knowledge with others to help them grow, but it is better to not share your personal data because everbody is not your trust confidence.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—open sharing versus protecting valuable information—and presents a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant and supported with explanations and examples, such as the risk of research being stolen or company reputation being damaged. However, the development tends to be somewhat repetitive and lacks deeper elaboration in places. For instance, the discussion on business rivalry and jealousy could be extended with more specific academic or professional scenarios. Overall, the response meets the core requirements of the prompt well, earning a solid Band 6.5 to 7.0 for addressing all task components effectively while maintaining a clear stance throughout.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is coherent overall with a clear logical progression. It is divided into an introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to signal the structure of the argument. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the phrase 'I will discuss both views of this essay' is slightly unnatural, and the transition in the concluding sentence ('whether it is good to share knowledge... but it is better to not share') is grammatically flawed and disrupts smooth flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but internal cohesion within paragraphs could be tightened for a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'scientific research', 'academic world', 'financial challenges', and 'company reputation'. Less common vocabulary is attempted, such as 'exclusively', 'jealous', and 'reputation', but there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and spelling, such as 'research filed' instead of 'field', 'Additionaly' instead of 'Additionally', and the awkward phrase 'everbody is not your trust confidence'. These lexical errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the score to a Band 6.0, as the student's control of precision and style remains limited.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some ambition with subordinate clauses, such as in the opening sentence ('It is often argued that... while others believe that...'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('everybody is not') and clumsy phrasing like 'if your share' (your instead of you). Punctuation and article usage also need refinement. While these errors rarely impede communication entirely, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from achieving a Band 6.5, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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