Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-30
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)
Nowadays, sharing crucial and valuable information has become a subject of considerable debate. Some people believe that an important information should be shared as freely as possible, whereas others argue that some information is too sensitive or dangerous to share freely. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why I believe that apart from sensitive information general information should be shared freely.
On the one hand, there are several reasons why people believe that it is essential to share as much information as possible. The main reason
behind this view is to accelerate innovation and scientific discoveries. This is because individuals can innovate new technique and do research on the available information. For example, researchers can do detailed research on the available free information for climate change, renewable energy, air pollution and traffic problem. Therefore, necessary information should be free for everyone to access.
On the other hand, others argue that some information is too sensitive or harmful to be shared freely. One major reason is that it can prevent unauthorized access and data misuse. For instance, financial reports of a company or employees data should not be publicly available to access the data. Consequently, only authorized user can access the sensitive information. In my view, this argument is more convincing because information privacy is crucial for everybody.
In conclusion, both views have valid points. However, I believe that privacy of an information is more beneficial because sharing all important information can lead to data leak and privacy issue.
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 prompt by discussing both views—sharing information freely to boost innovation and restricting it for security and privacy—while providing a clear personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. However, the ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed, particularly in the body paragraphs where examples like 'climate change, renewable energy, air pollution and traffic problem' are merely listed rather than fully extended. The conclusion also slightly contradicts the body paragraph stance by asserting that 'privacy of an information is more beneficial' without nuanced qualification. This places the performance firmly at Band 6, as it addresses all parts of the task but lacks deeper extension and fully developed support for the ideas presented.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a clear logical organisation with a recognizable introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition 'Therefore, necessary information should be free...' is slightly abrupt, and the pronoun reference 'this argument is more convincing' is a bit vague. Furthermore, the progression in the conclusion introduces a slightly shifted emphasis on data leaks not fully articulated prior. Overall, the logical flow is coherent, matching the Band 6 descriptor.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'considerable debate', 'unauthorized access', and 'financial reports'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are sometimes accompanied by inaccuracies or awkward collocations, such as 'an important information' (uncountable noun misuse) and 'innovate new technique' (incorrect verb choice, should be 'develop new techniques'). Spelling is generally accurate, and errors do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient for a Band 6 score, as it covers the topic adequately despite noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordinate clauses ('This is because individuals can...', 'whereas others argue that...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles and singular/plural agreement, such as 'an important information', 'traffic problem' (should be plural or countable), and 'only authorized user' (should be plural 'users'). There is also a punctuation error in the opening paragraph with a double space. Despite these errors, the meaning is generally clear and communication is not impeded. This balance of mixed structures and persistent errors aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor.
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.