Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-27

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)

Some citizens think that old buildings, like town halls and art galleries, should be restored, although it can be costly. While others discuss that the government should replace them with new modern buildings. I suggest that the government should replace them with modern buildings. I will discuss both sides and my perspectives.

Old buildings such as the town halls and galleries are something like a historical place that serves as a tourist site for people, and the country benefits from it. But restoring such buildings could be costly as some individuals mentioned; wasting money on restoring is a good idea but will not change the beauty of the building, which will attract people.

On the other hand, replacing the building with new modern ones is something valuable. This is because those town halls and art galleries might look mooded, and replacing them with a modern one might be the best solution rather than restoring them. because the place will be more attractive after replacing it with the new modern building, and people and tourists will be glad to visit this modern gallery and town hall. It is better for the government to spend money replacing them than restoring and later would like to replace them.

I believe that both restoring and replacing could be costly, but replacing them with new modern buildings will last rather than restoring them and later replacing them, which will be double the money.

I had knowledge about such things in a particular country, where the government replaced those old town halls rather than replacing them, the county later looked more beautiful than expected. This is my opinion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument for restoration is briefly mentioned but lacks depth, and the argument for replacement relies on repetitive points about 'attractiveness' and 'cost'. The reasoning is occasionally circular, such as the claim that replacing is better because it avoids having to replace it later. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, well-supported examples or logical consequences for each viewpoint rather than repeating the same points in different ways.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the sentence 'While others discuss that the government should replace them...' is a fragment and does not connect logically to the previous sentence. Additionally, the transition between paragraphs is sometimes abrupt. While there is a clear attempt to use linking words like 'On the other hand' and 'This is because', the overall flow is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and some awkward phrasing that makes the progression of ideas feel slightly disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use basic terms repeatedly, such as 'modern buildings' and 'costly'. There are also some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'mooded' (likely intended to mean 'outdated' or 'dilapidated') and 'I had knowledge about such things', which sounds unnatural. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated synonyms and collocations related to urban planning and heritage conservation to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'the government replaced those old town halls rather than replacing them' is logically confusing and grammatically repetitive. There are also issues with sentence fragments and punctuation, such as starting a sentence with 'because the place will be more attractive'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and sentence boundary control would be beneficial.

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

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