Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-07-28
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people believe that old buildings, such as town halls and art galleries, should be restored, even though this can be costly. Others argue that governments should replace them with new, modern buildings.
Discuss both 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)
Governments should replace old buildings with new, modern buildings. Firstly it is cost efficient because restoration of old buildings take huge amount of money. With that, if we make modern and new buildings it is easy to make with new ideas. However, we the modern buildings we can make a lot of ideas. For instance we have opportunity to make new hospital, new bus stations ,gas stations ,or any ideas for all individuals. Therefore, everyone get the facilities especially local people. Apart of that, government also able to make metro station , it takes a lot of time but it is good idea because in Today's time due to increase of inflation it is budget friendly and give facilities of all ages like old age , young or adult .
In contrast old buildings, such as town halls and art galleries, should be restored also a good idea but I don't agree fully with that because first of all it is very costly . Secondly , if we restored old galleries then we only make museum and make money with people. I strongly believe that replace old buildings with new one is far bettter idea than this and it advantages all people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address both sides of the argument and state a clear opinion, the points are under-developed and lack depth. For instance, the argument for replacing buildings is repetitive, focusing on 'facilities' without providing specific, well-reasoned examples of why modern architecture is superior to historical preservation. The discussion on restoration is also brief and lacks a nuanced exploration of cultural or historical value. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and relevant examples to reach the required length and demonstrate a more thorough engagement with the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is often disjointed. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In contrast', the transitions between sentences are sometimes mechanical or confusing, such as the phrase 'With that, if we make modern and new buildings'. The logical progression is hindered by the lack of depth in your arguments, making the overall structure feel somewhat repetitive. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that is followed by well-connected supporting details.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'make a lot of ideas' and 'make money'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'Apart of that' (should be 'Apart from that') and 'Today's time' (which is non-standard). To improve, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary related to urban planning and architecture, and focus on using words in their correct collocations to express your ideas more naturally and precisely.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'restoration... take'), missing articles (e.g., 'in Today's time'), and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'we the modern buildings we can make a lot of ideas'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures and proofreading for common errors like article usage and verb tense consistency before attempting more complex grammatical forms.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.