Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-19
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 important ideas and data with businesses, scientific labs and education centres. However, others think that some information should be secret and not shared freely with others. This essay will discuss both the views and my opinion in upcoming paragraphs.
To begin with, many scientists are constantly working on particular things, which will be very useful for people. To elaborate, scientists are finding the cure for cancer and also efficient medicine for it. Therefore, if they share this involvement with medical centres, then it will be very beneficial for menkind. Moreover, education plays an important role in a country's further success. Therefore, people who have great knowledge about education should share information and their ideas with others.
On the other hand, business ideas are the most important part of the success of entrepreneurs. Thereby, it is essential to keep this information private as much as possible due to the high level of competition in the market. For example, many businessmen are successful not only for their big business but also for their ideas and knowledge, so they should keep private this ideas for being competitive in the market. In addition, many developments are too important for the county, such as military equipment data should prevent to leak out of nations.
To conlude and my relevant opinion is, people should share educational and scientific knowledge to others which is very helpful for individuals. While some ideas are kept privite to be competitive in the market and also prevent to leak military data.
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 views on information sharing in science, business, and academia, and includes the writer's own opinion. The position is stated at the beginning and reaffirmed in the conclusion, though it is somewhat simply expressed. Ideas are presented and supported with examples, such as finding a cure for cancer and protecting business or military secrets. However, some arguments remain slightly under-developed and rely on generalisations, such as the brief mention of entrepreneurs and military equipment data. Overall, the content satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.0 performance, as all parts of the prompt are covered, even if some sections lack deeper elaboration.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, separating the introduction, body paragraphs covering both views, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand', to guide the reader through the arguments. However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or awkward, as seen in the concluding sentence 'To conlude and my relevant opinion is, people should share...', which breaks the logical flow. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion within paragraphs could be smoother to reach a higher band level. These features align closely with a Band 6.0 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, including terms like 'entrepreneurs', 'competition', and 'medical centres'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'this involvement' instead of 'these findings', 'menkind' instead of 'mankind', and 'keep private this ideas' instead of 'keep these ideas private'. Spelling errors like 'conlude' and 'privite' also occur. While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, these inaccuracies restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.5, reflecting a mix of adequate attempts and frequent lexical slips.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with attempts at conditionals and subordinate clauses like 'Therefore, if they share this involvement with medical centres, then it will be very beneficial...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors in tense consistency, prepositions, and voice, such as 'military equipment data should prevent to leak out of nations' (should be prevented from leaking) and 'some ideas are kept privite to be competitive'. Punctuation and structural awkwardness in the conclusion also detract from overall control. Because errors are noticeable and occasionally hinder clarity, the grammar aligns with a Band 5.5 descriptor.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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