Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-11
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)
In recent years, some individuals think that historical buildings, like town halls and art museums, should be repaired, even if it is expensive. On the other side some believe that law makers should build buildings in modern style. I will explain it in my further paragraphs.
To begin with, those are in favour of restoring those buildings think that these are important part of our history and help the future generation to gain knowledge about history. Moreover, these old buildings will not only attract locals but also foreigner visitors which will help our country to grow by contributing in our Gdp. For example, every year a lot of visitors come from other countries to visit old buildings like Taj Mehal and many other historcal buildings.
On the other hand, if government will make new buildings it will create more job opportunities for the people who are unemployed. In addition, if modern buildings will be constructed those will need less repair as well as this will also help in saving more money for other purposes. For instance, a survey was conducted by researchers that the cost of repairing old buildings cost same as constructing new building and old buildings need more repair in less time due to which more people are in the side of making modern buildings.
In conclusion, although new building are cheaper but also old
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both views and provides an opinion, but it is significantly under-length at 227 words. Because the essay is incomplete—ending abruptly in the conclusion—the development of ideas is severely curtailed. While the prompt is addressed, the lack of a finished conclusion and the brevity of the arguments prevent a full exploration of the topic. To reach a higher band, you must ensure you meet the 250-word minimum and provide a balanced, fully developed discussion that concludes logically. The current response is too brief to demonstrate the depth of analysis required for higher bands.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay uses basic paragraphing and some cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand'. However, the flow is interrupted by the abrupt ending of the text. The logical progression is present but limited by the lack of a complete conclusion. Referencing is generally clear, but the mechanical nature of the transitions prevents a more sophisticated flow. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that your paragraphs are balanced and lead to a coherent, finished summary of your position.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use common terms like 'repair', 'build', and 'modern style' repeatedly. While you attempt some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'historical buildings' and 'job opportunities', there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'foreigner visitors' (should be 'foreign visitors') and 'contributing in our Gdp' (should be 'contributing to our GDP'). To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and demonstrate a more flexible range of vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'those are in favour' (missing 'who'), 'if government will make' (incorrect conditional tense), and 'cost same as' (missing 'the'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency. Focus on mastering conditional structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement to improve your accuracy and range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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