Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-13

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)

Although it is expensive to restore old monuments , many believe that they should be restored as original structure. While some individuals argue that the authorities should make new modern buildings replacing the old ones. I firmly agree that new facilities should replace the old ones because of the convenience and the expenses.

On the one hand, there are some people who support restoring the old buildings to preserve art and identity of the past. As these structures not only reflects the past, in some of the cases they also give insights to the cultural and religious aspect of the society. For instances, old town halls were build using the ancient art and culture. One particular example would be the Singha Durbar of Nepal which was made by the late king Gynandra using the ancient design which incorporates the arts and also includes the carvings of gods and goddesses in almost every pillars. These have became old and needs restoration but restoring these will be very expensive as workers have to preserve the original looks and structure while installing the required amenities which is a difficult task and can take longer

On the other hand, some individuals believe that government should replace the old buildings with new and modern ones. It is because the modern buildings would incorporate all the facilities and are easy to build. Furthermore, the cost to these buildings are comparatively inexpensive. For example, modern art galleries like The Art Place in Kathmandu compromises of all the facilities and are easy to access. Moreover, they also reflect the ancient art and reflects culture as they were designed with those things in mind. The cost of buiding was also low as it used the modern precast technology.

In conclusion,I firmly believe that government should replace the the old buildings with the new ones even though some people might oppose and want those to be restored, as building new ones are more economic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the discussion and state a clear opinion in the introduction and conclusion: you favour replacing old buildings because of convenience and cost. The restoration paragraph gives a relevant cultural argument and a specific example, while the modern-building paragraph explains practical benefits and refers to a Kathmandu gallery. This meets the task, but the two views are not developed equally: the case for restoration is mainly about heritage, and the example’s details do not fully explain why preservation matters to the wider community. Your own position would also be stronger if you acknowledged more directly how modern buildings can retain or represent heritage, rather than relying on a brief claim that they reflect ancient art. Extend these points with clearer reasoning and evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The signposts “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow. However, some links between ideas are mechanical or unclear. For example, “These have became old and needs restoration” has an uncertain reference, and the sentence beginning “While some individuals argue…” is left as a fragment rather than connected to the opening sentence. The first body paragraph also moves from cultural value to restoration costs without a fully explicit transition. Use clearer referencing and connect each example back to the paragraph’s main point so the argument flows more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “preserve,” “cultural,” “amenities,” “carvings,” and “precast technology,” which helps discuss heritage and construction. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “original looks and structure.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, including “as original structure,” “compromises of all the facilities,” and “more economic.” Some repetition of “old buildings,” “modern,” and “reflect” also limits flexibility, and spelling errors such as “buiding” reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and vary repeated terms; for instance, describe a building as “retain its original features” or say that a project “includes modern facilities.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including clauses introduced by “Although,” “While,” and “as,” and most of the argument remains understandable. However, errors occur across sentence structures, agreement, verb forms, and punctuation. “While some individuals argue…” is a dependent clause without a main clause, while “these structures not only reflects” should have plural agreement. Other examples include “were build,” “These have became old and needs restoration,” and “the cost … are.” Commas and spacing are also inconsistent, particularly in the opening and conclusion. Practise checking each sentence for a complete main clause, matching subjects and verbs, and consistent verb forms; this will make your complex sentences more controlled and accurate.

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