Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-30

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)

It is matter of discussion nowadays that restoration of old places like art galleries should be prioritized even if it costs fortune while other oppose this as these areas should be replaced by some modern architectures. However, I side with former view.

On the one hand, some people argue that old buildings such as town halls and art galleries should be renewed as it provides a great opportunity for citizens to learn about culture and history of such places. Moreover, these places will also provide a great support to local community by the increasing tourism. This will not only help local vendors financially but it will also assist government to some raise some money from tourists.

On the other hand, critics argue that replacement of such buildings with latest architecture is more crucial because of safety concerns. As new buildings will have more modern technologies , this will lead to more safety of residents. For example, a latest survey of Nepal reveals that during a small flood in 2025, less buildings were damaged which were built recently compared to old residential area. In addition, modern houses will also provide luxury.

However, In my opinion government should promote replacing new buildings with old ones. As sometimes many cities faces housing crisis and this is a great solution to resolve this issue.

To conclude with, it is a thought of some individuals that ancient construction should be preserved due to history and culture while other deny because of safety reasons. I believe that former view is more beneficial as it solves issues of housing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both views and providing an opinion. However, your position is inconsistent. In the introduction, you state you side with the 'former view' (restoration), but in the body paragraph and conclusion, you argue for 'replacing' buildings to solve the housing crisis. This contradiction makes your position unclear. While your ideas are relevant, the argument for restoration is underdeveloped compared to the argument for replacement. To reach a higher band, ensure your stance is clearly defined and maintained consistently throughout the essay, and provide more balanced development for both sides of the argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and you use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude with' to signal transitions. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the contradictory stance mentioned above. Additionally, some referencing is slightly confusing, such as the use of 'former' and 'latter' when the logic of your argument shifts mid-essay. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal flow within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words beyond simple additive connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'prioritized', 'architecture', and 'housing crisis'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'costs fortune' (should be 'costs a fortune'), 'assist government to some raise some money' (repetitive and ungrammatical), and 'replacing new buildings with old ones' (which contradicts your intended meaning). To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that your vocabulary choices accurately reflect the intended meaning rather than just filling space.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors with articles ('a latest survey', 'during a small flood'), pluralization ('less buildings'), and preposition usage. Some sentences are grammatically awkward, such as 'It is matter of discussion nowadays' (missing article) and 'this will lead to more safety of residents'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction and article usage will help improve your score.

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

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