Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-26
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 4.5)
In many urban areas, people are finding it difficult to spend quality time with their loved ones due to working more than 8 hours, and having a hectic schedule every day. This situation can lead to conflicts with family members; however, we can tackle this problem by spending quality time with them.
One major problem is that spending less time with family causes disputes and weaker relationships. People who are working long hours, and spending less time with their children feel emotionally disconnected and neglected.For instance, parents who come home late everyday never get a chance to sit with their young ones to enjoy quality time, and may miss important conversations and fun activities.
Moreover, this feeling of being ignored may cause anxiety and stress, which can affect mental health.
However, there are several effective ways to address these problems. Firstly, they should make separate schedules for their workplace and family to maintain their personal and professional life. For example, they should avoid responding to any official calls and work related emails while sitting at home. They should have at least one meal together so that they can communicate with each other and share their
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for a discussion on the restoration versus replacement of old buildings, yet your essay focuses entirely on work-life balance and family relationships. Because you have not addressed the task at all, the score is severely impacted. Furthermore, the response is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which further limits the development of any relevant ideas. To improve, you must carefully read the prompt and ensure your content directly answers the specific question asked.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
While the essay is structured into paragraphs and uses some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Firstly', the lack of relevance to the prompt makes the overall progression illogical in the context of the task. The ideas are linked within the paragraphs, but they do not contribute to a coherent argument regarding the topic of architecture or urban planning. Paragraphing is present, but the content within those paragraphs does not support the required task.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally clear and appropriate for a discussion on work-life balance, including terms like 'emotionally disconnected', 'hectic schedule', and 'professional life'. However, because the vocabulary is applied to the wrong topic, it does not demonstrate the range required for higher bands in the context of the actual task. You have a decent grasp of basic vocabulary, but you need to expand your range to include more academic or topic-specific terminology related to the actual prompt.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a reasonable control of sentence structure, using a mix of simple and complex sentences. There are some minor errors, such as 'everyday' (which should be 'every day' as an adverbial phrase) and some punctuation issues. However, the grammar is generally accurate enough to convey meaning clearly. The main issue remains the irrelevance of the content to the prompt provided. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring consistent accuracy will help improve your score in future tasks.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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