Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-16
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)
Few individuals believe that it is better to share as most information as possible in scientific research business and the academic world.Others believe that few information is to important or too valuable to be shared freely.This topic is very important in our world.In today’s modern world sharing information is very easy especially in business scientific research and education.This essay will discuss both view and my opinion.
On the other hand,sharing information is openly can bring many advantages. Firstly, it helps in the development of knowledge and innovation. When scientists and researchers share their findings, others can build on their work and make further discoveries. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists around the world shared research data quickly, which helped in developing vaccines in a short time. Secondly, sharing information improves learning and education. Students and teachers can access a wide range of materials online, which makes education more effective and accessible.
On the other hand, some people believe that not all information should be shared. One reason is that certain information is highly valuable and gives a competitive advantage. In business, companies invest a lot of money and effort in creating new products, so they may not want to share their ideas with competitors. For instance, big technology companies like Apple keep their product designs secret to stay ahead in the market. Another reason is security and safety concerns. Some scientific or technical information, if shared freely, could be misused. For example, sensitive research related to weapons or cybersecurity could be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the views in favour of open information sharing and the perspective that certain information should remain confidential. Furthermore, the writer clearly states their opinion. Ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as the COVID-19 pandemic data sharing for vaccines and Apple's product designs. However, the introduction is quite brief and mentions 'On the other hand' twice in the essay, which highlights some slight organisational oversight regarding the initial perspective. Nevertheless, the main task requirements are met with adequate development of ideas, placing it comfortably in Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are employed to connect sentences, such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'For instance'. However, there are noticeable mechanical errors in paragraphing and spacing throughout the text, including missing spaces after punctuation marks like commas and periods (e.g., 'research business and the academic world.Others believe'). Additionally, the phrase 'On the other hand' is mistakenly used to introduce both viewpoints, which impairs logical cohesion. These flaws indicate a Band 6 level for cohesion and paragraphing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using subject-specific terms such as 'scientific research', 'competitive advantage', and 'cybersecurity'. However, there are notable word-choice and form errors, such as 'as most information' instead of 'as much information' and 'few information is to important' instead of 'little information is too important'. Despite these lexical inaccuracies and spelling/spacing errors, communication is not impeded, and the range is sufficient to meet the Band 6 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures reasonably well (e.g., 'When scientists and researchers share their findings, others can build on their work'). There are several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the essay, predominantly missing spaces between sentences and incorrect lexical forms like 'to important' instead of 'too important'. However, these errors rarely impede overall communication, and the writer demonstrates adequate control over basic sentence structures, aligning well with the Band 6 criteria.
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.