Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-31
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 individuals believe that old buildings of town halls and art galleries should be reconstruct, although it requires a lot of capital. While others argue that authorities should reconstruct them in new and contemporary styles.
In my opinion the former proposal seems to be more rational. This essay will pinpoint the reasons to prove it to be more reasonable. First and foremost reason behind this is that, it would place huge amount of pressure on the revenue of the infrastructure of buildings, if the government reconstruct buildings. Therefore, it is good idea just to renovate them according to the necessities of the society. Another striking reason is that the capital allocated for rebuild can be used on other institution such as education, healthcare, technology advancements etc. Therefor, it would be just liability to spend money on the reconstruction.
On the other hand, town halls and art galleries play a little role in the economy and progress of the country, while technology and education sectors and industries pay a crucial role in the developments. Town halls and art galleries should be good enough, so that they provide entertainment to the public. But to spend a lot of capital is not a good idea regarding the budget of the country.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 208 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address both views and state an opinion, the arguments are underdeveloped and repetitive. For instance, the point about allocating capital to other sectors is mentioned but not expanded upon with specific examples or logical depth. The conclusion is also missing, leaving the essay feeling incomplete. To improve, you must expand your supporting points with concrete examples and ensure you meet the minimum length to allow for a full exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay has a basic structure with an introduction and body paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by the brevity of the text. While you use some cohesive devices like 'First and foremost' and 'On the other hand', the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. Paragraphing is present, but the ideas within the paragraphs are not fully connected or extended. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph develops a single, clear central idea that transitions smoothly into the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'reconstruct' and 'capital', and there are some awkward collocations, such as 'liability to spend money'. The use of 'pinpoint' is slightly misused in this context. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to urban planning and heritage conservation, and focus on using synonyms to avoid repetition. Expanding your range of academic collocations will also help improve the sophistication of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with verb forms ('should be reconstruct' instead of 'restored') and subject-verb agreement ('government reconstruct' instead of 'reconstructs'). Sentence structures are relatively simple, and there are errors in article usage and punctuation. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors interfere with the fluency of the writing. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically passive voice and subject-verb agreement, and proofread your work to catch minor slips in tense and word form.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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