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 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 techniques and do research on the available information. For example, researchers can conduct detailed research on the available free Essential data for climate change, renewable energy, air pollution and traffic problems. Therefore, necessary information should be free for everyone to access.
On the other hand, others argue that some vital facts 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 users 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 general research should be open, while personal and corporate data must be protected because sharing all important information can lead to data leak and privacy issues.
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 successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both sides of the argument—that sharing information accelerates innovation versus the need to protect sensitive data to prevent misuse. A clear position is presented throughout the essay, beginning with the introduction and culminating in a balanced conclusion. The main ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as referencing climate change data and corporate financial reports. While some ideas could be slightly more extended to fully reach the higher bands, the task is adequately and clearly answered, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0. Given the solid coverage of both views and the clear personal opinion, a Band 6.0 is well-earned, touching the edge of Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with distinct sections for each viewpoint. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'The main reason behind this view', and 'In conclusion' are employed to guide the reader through the text, although referencing is occasionally slightly repetitive or mechanical (e.g., repeating 'access the data'). Overall, the logical structure is sound and meets the criteria for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms like 'innovation', 'scientific discoveries', 'unauthorized access', and 'data misuse'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but also noticeable word-form inaccuracies or awkward collocations, such as 'individuals can innovate new techniques' instead of 'develop' or 'invent', and 'some vital facts is' (subject-verb agreement). Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary is sufficient to communicate meaning clearly without impeding the reader, placing this firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at varied structures (e.g., relative clauses and conditional-like phrasing). However, there are several grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as the grammatical mismatch 'some vital facts is' instead of 'are', and minor punctuation or phrasing issues like 'apart from sensitive information general information should be shared freely'. Despite these errors, the meaning is rarely impeded, and the sentence structures show a reasonable degree of control, warranting a Band 6.0.
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