Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-16

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)

While few individuals believe that the historical buildings, such as town halls and art galleries should be renovated to its original condition, others consider that the governments should replace them with modern structures. This essay will discuss both the views, as far as in am concerned about the initial idea.

To begin with the former notion, the old building and art galleries should be preserved to represent a country's history and culture. The historical places can represent the certain region to the world level by its unique architecture. protecting these places and be beneficial to the economy as they can attract tourists. For instance, the local people will have jobs by guiding tourists and that wealth will be spend in the country. In addition, it will help younger generations understand their heritage, including important achievements and events from the past.

Moving towards the latter notion, modern buildings can provide better facilities and accommodate the changing needs of growing cities. Old buildings may have limited space, outdated infrastructure or poor accessibility. constructing moder buildings can provide larger spaces, advanced technology and better facilities for businesses and public services. For example, a modern town hall can offer digital services, accessible facilities and enough space for a growing population.

In conclusion, although modern buildings are indication of positive development yet restoring the historical structure represent the country on the world level. However, i believe that historically significant buildings should be preserved whenever possible, while modern facilities can be developed alongside them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the response is slightly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. While the arguments for preservation and modernization are relevant, they are somewhat brief. The introduction is also slightly confusing in its phrasing ('as far as in am concerned about the initial idea'). To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples and ensure your position is stated more clearly and professionally in the introduction. The failure to meet the minimum word count necessitates a penalty in this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moving towards', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure could benefit from more sophisticated linking words to improve the flow of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately, which helps the reader follow your argument despite the brevity of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'renovated', 'infrastructure', and 'heritage'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'wealth will be spend' (should be 'spent') and 'indication of positive development' (should be 'an indication'). You attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but the range is somewhat limited. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that your word forms are grammatically correct in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'the old building and art galleries should be preserved' (subject-verb agreement), 'protecting these places and be beneficial' (incorrect verb form), and 'i believe' (capitalization). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and prepositions throughout the text. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and capitalization errors.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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