Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-17
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 5.0)
It has become a debatable issue among the people that whether ancient buildings should be preserved or it should be demolished into new buildings. I support the former view because of several reasons which will be discussed in following paragraphs along with opposite argument.
To start with the reasons why old monuments should be kept safely. It connects us with our tradition and culture. To be more precise, restoring art galleries and town halls not only teach us about the achievements of our great artists but also associate the younger generation with their tradition and culture. For example, the old sculptures of freedom fighters remind us the battle they fought for the rights of their citizens. Therefore, preserving such buildings is worthwhile.
However, converting these old buildings into modern ones would be a great idea because of several factors. The first and foremost is accommodation. If these old buildings are replaced with apartments then it will accommodate number of people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 160 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the prompt asks to discuss both views and provide an opinion, the second viewpoint is barely introduced and lacks any supporting evidence or examples. The conclusion is entirely missing. Because the response is severely under-length and the arguments are underdeveloped, it cannot reach a higher band. To improve, you must expand each body paragraph with more detailed explanations and specific examples, and ensure you include a clear introduction and a well-developed conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay uses some basic cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'To be more precise', and 'However'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the structure is incomplete due to the lack of a conclusion and the abrupt ending of the second body paragraph. The logical progression is interrupted by the premature end of the text. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') to connect ideas more fluidly throughout the entire essay.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'debatable issue' and 'great idea' are functional but lack the precision expected at higher levels. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'demolished into new buildings' (demolished to make way for) and 'accommodate number of people' (accommodate a number of people). To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to architecture and urban planning, such as 'urban development', 'historical preservation', or 'architectural heritage'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'whether ancient buildings should be preserved or it should be demolished' (subject-verb agreement/plurality) and 'remind us the battle' (missing preposition 'of'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the overall range of structures is limited. To improve, practice using a wider variety of complex sentence forms, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, and pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage.
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.