Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-19

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)

Nowadays, some people think that sharing more information in scientific research, business and academic is beneficial while others argue sharing valuable information should be limited for those who is learning.In my opinion, passing on knowledge is helpful because it helps individuals in such way we can't imagine.

On one hand, sharing crucial information regarding to business, scientific research and academic world should not be shared freely. The primary reason of not sharing any ideas is being misused such as important information and or someone's whole hard work has been stolen. For instance, someone is working on their business ideas, draft their final product and before publishing, shared information stooled by someone then it would be disappointing. As a result, the person could face a lot of stress and experienced betrayal.

On the other hand, passing on information could be beneficial as it's helpful for everyone who is stuck and needs assistance. For example if a group of students doing a scientific research and they got stuck on crucial part and they seek help from their seniors. In terms of helping, seniors have to share important information with juniors. As a result, a significant impact can be seen on their research so that's why sometimes sharing knowledge is good. In my opinion helping someone at their lowest is not a big problem despite the fear of being misused.

In conclusion. I strongly believe that sharing or spreading valuable knowledge in any field is quite constructive rather than hiding it making it restricted for individuals who is learning.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the discussion and state a clear preference for sharing knowledge, especially in the introduction and conclusion. The concern that research or business ideas may be stolen is relevant, and the example of students seeking help from seniors supports the benefits of sharing. However, the arguments are only partly developed: the first example focuses on one person’s disappointment rather than explaining when valuable information should legitimately remain confidential, while the second does not explore possible limits or safeguards. Your opinion is present, but “helping someone at their lowest” does not fully explain how you balance openness with protecting valuable information. Develop both positions with clearer reasoning and a more direct comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. “On one hand” and “On the other hand” help signal the contrast, and examples are placed with the relevant arguments. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because ideas are joined mechanically or repeated. For example, the first body paragraph moves from misuse to stolen work, then to stress and betrayal without clearly explaining the broader argument. The conclusion begins “In conclusion.” as a fragment, and the final sentence is awkwardly connected. Use clearer topic sentences, make each example explicitly support its point, and link the conclusion back to the balance between sharing and protecting information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “scientific research,” “valuable information,” “misused,” and “betrayal,” and you attempt phrases such as “significant impact.” This gives you enough language to communicate the main ideas, but the range is limited and several choices or combinations are inaccurate or repetitive. “Academic” is used where “the academic world” or “academia” is needed, and “information stooled” appears to mean “information was stolen.” Phrases such as “sharing crucial information … should not be shared freely” repeat the same idea rather than expressing it precisely. Aim for accurate collocations and vary repeated terms such as “sharing” and “information”; proofreading spelling and word forms will also make your meaning clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if a group of students … got stuck” and clauses introduced by “because” and “as a result.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure, agreement, verb forms, and punctuation sometimes make the reader work to understand the point. Examples include “those who is learning,” “a group of students doing,” and “the person could face … and experienced betrayal.” The opening sentence also runs ideas together, while “In conclusion.” is incorrectly separated from the sentence that follows. Practise complete sentence patterns, consistent verb forms, and subject–verb agreement, then check punctuation and sentence boundaries carefully.

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