Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-17

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 sharing considerable amount of information in scientific research, buisness and academics is good whereas others believe that some information is too important or too valuable to be discussed and shared freely.

If we plan to share some information on academics, business or research we can share a limited amount of information as it helps us to understand better, find the faults in it. In addition to that if we are unable to decide what to do a good discussion among family or friends can help ease us a bit with many soloutions and suggestions we can take from.

For example When I was not performing well in my semester exams and i got a few backlogs i was very dissappointed and sad, but when i shared my plight to my mother she motivated me not to loose hope, continue trying and identify where i did common mistakes. This motivated me and I performed well in my upcoming semesters.

Although sharing a limited information is good but on the other hand sharing sensitive information can lead us to trouble. We might be totally unaware during such conversations and disclose the important information to others. For example my uncle shared his mail and bank credentials with his neighbour after few day my uncle recieved a message saying a lumpsum amount of money has been withdrawn from his account and also anonymous mails have been sent from his mail ID.

I conclude that sharing information with others is totally fine based on the context we are talking for instance on academics we can share our information whereas in case of buisness the information can be limited and finally for research, sensitive and valuable information should not be disclosed freely so that we will be away from any trouble or mishappenings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the benefits of sharing information as well as the risks associated with disclosing sensitive material. A position is presented, though it is somewhat muddled in the final paragraph. The ideas are supported with personal examples, such as talking to a mother about university exams and an uncle sharing banking credentials. However, the examples lean heavily on personal and anecdotal experiences rather than addressing the broader contexts of scientific research, business, and academics specified in the prompt. This results in a somewhat generalised and narrow interpretation of the topic. The main ideas are present, but their development is limited by a lack of formal or professional perspective, aligning best with a Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is generally coherent with a clear overall arrangement, moving from an introduction to body paragraphs discussing both views and a conclusion. However, cohesion is frequently faulty or mechanical. Words like 'In addition to that', 'Although', and 'For example' are used, but referencing is sometimes unclear, such as shifting abruptly from academic contexts to personal family anecdotes without smooth transitional framing. Paragraphing is attempted, but the transition between the theoretical prompt elements (science, business, academics) and personal anecdotes makes the logical progression somewhat disjointed. Overall, the organizational structure is visible, but the flow and cohesive ties require better control, placing this response at Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting words like 'considerable', 'sensitive', 'credentials', and 'lumpsum'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors throughout the text, including 'buisness', 'academics' (used where academic contexts are meant), 'soloutions', 'dissappointed', 'loose' (instead of lose), and 'mishappenings'. Word choice is occasionally awkward or imprecise, such as 'share some information on academics' instead of 'in academics', and 'sharing information with others is totally fine based on the context we are talking for'. These vocabulary limitations and frequent spelling errors place the lexical control at a Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting subordination and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues. Examples include run-on sentences ('For example When I was not performing well...'), missing articles ('perform well in my semester exams'), and incorrect prepositions ('share our information whereas in case of buisness'). Punctuation is also weak, with missing commas in introductory clauses and capitalization errors ('i' instead of 'I'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, their high frequency across the text prevents the score from reaching Band 6, justifying a Band 5.

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

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