Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Predictions Nov 2026 · 2026-11-04

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Cosmetic surgery has become increasingly common in many parts of the world. Some people choose these procedures to change their appearance, while others have them for medical reasons.

What is the reason for their popularity nowadays?

Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Many people are choosing cosmetic surgeries nowadays, either for changing their facial features or due to medical reasons. The number is increasing day by day. In my point of view, this type of tecnelogy is helping alot of people and will be doing the same in future, but it also has some serious drawbacks.

Going throught surgeries for the inhancement of facial features is very common today. A large number of qualified and intelegent indivisuals feel unconfident and find it difficult to reach goals due to their birth marks and un attracative facial features. This technelogy can be really helpfull for them. For example, a person with a scar on his face finds it stressfull to meet new people and apply for new jobs. By going through a cosmetic surgery he can regain that confident that he never had.

On the other hand, advanced cosmetic surgeries have reached on a level of perfection, where the doctors can easily copy one's facial features to another person. This development is extreamly dangerous. One can change his features and be someone else. For example, if a person transforms his face resembling to the dead man's, who left his wealth without inheriting. In such senerio a serious loss could be expected.

In the end, people with bad features or birth marks are actively considering cosmetic surgeries as a life saving thing. Cosmetic sergeries can completly transform the lives of indivisual's who are facing issues with their appearances or dealing with a medical situation. Though it comes with negative aspects but can still be usefull in some situations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions and give a broadly clear view: cosmetic surgery can help people, although it also carries serious risks. The example of someone whose scar affects confidence and job applications supports the benefit, while the identity-fraud scenario introduces a relevant drawback. However, the reasons for the procedures’ growing popularity are only partly explained. The response focuses mainly on appearance-related insecurity and says little about medical reasons or wider influences such as social media, changing attitudes, or greater access to treatment. The conclusion also calls surgery “a life saving thing,” which is stronger than the evidence provided. Develop the causes of popularity more directly and explain how you weigh the benefits against the risks.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph presenting a benefit, a contrasting paragraph about a risk, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In the end” help signal the direction of the argument. The examples are generally placed beside the points they illustrate. However, the progression is not always smooth: the discussion of copying another person’s face is introduced abruptly, and the conclusion repeats the benefits without clearly resolving the positive-versus-negative judgement. Some references, including “This development” and “it,” could be more precise. To improve, connect each example explicitly to the question of popularity and make the final position consistent and unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “cosmetic surgeries,” “facial features,” “birth marks,” “qualified,” and “drawbacks,” and the reader can generally understand your intended meaning. However, spelling errors are frequent and noticeable, as in “tecnelogy,” “intelegent,” “extreamly,” and “senerio.” There are also inaccurate or unnatural word choices and collocations, such as “reach on a level of perfection,” “regain that confident,” and “without inheriting.” These sometimes make the meaning harder to follow, particularly in the example about impersonating a deceased person. Aim for accurate, natural combinations and check spelling carefully; a smaller set of well-controlled expressions would make the argument clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a conditional example (“if a person transforms his face…”) and a relative clause (“who left his wealth…”). Most of the main ideas remain understandable, but there are some recurring grammatical problems. For example, “the doctors can easily copy one's facial features to another person” has an unclear grammatical relationship, while “By going through a cosmetic surgery he can regain that confident” contains an awkward article and an incorrect form after “that.” The sentence beginning “Though it comes with negative aspects” is also incomplete as a standalone clause. Work on complete sentence structures, articles, and accurate forms after determiners, and punctuate introductory clauses consistently.

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.