Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-25

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 the contemporary world, even though reconstructing old buildings requires a large amount of money. Some people believe that old buildings such as town halls and art galleries should be restored. while others argue that government should replace them with modern architectural designs. In this essay, I will discuss both the views and share my opinion on this.

To commence with, older buildings present historic culture and show originality. These original art gallaries show the work of artists through their different sculptures and art paintings. And the town halls showcase the structure where officials discuss and manage local issues, such as roads, sanitation and public services. To exemplify this, through this initiation a new generation gets an opportunity to tie with our historical places and know the value of old artists and the historic culture. In addition to this, as these buildings posses a strong originality it becomes tourists attraction.

On the other hand, if old town halls or buildings get replaced with contemporary architecture it would create employment. Modern buildings are becoming increasingly popular and these structures are often equipped with advanced facilities. Therefore, more job opportunities will be created for people. For example, the local unemployed people gets chance to earn well for their families while constructing these modern building. In addition, the construction of modern buildings requires skilled workers and technicians who are familiar with advanced technologies, which can further increase employment opportunities in the construction industry.

In conclusion, although the older or antique buildings magnify the historic culture and show originality to our past and future generation, replacing them with modern buildings and complexes can create more employment opportunities

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You discuss both restoration and replacement, and your position is partly visible in the conclusion: you recognise the cultural value of older buildings while noting the employment benefits of new construction. However, the opinion is not fully resolved, since you do not clearly state which option you support overall. The restoration case is relevant, with examples such as galleries preserving artists’ work and town halls serving local communities, but the employment argument is developed more fully than the case for replacing buildings. Explain why employment should outweigh—or not outweigh—the heritage value, and support your final view with a specific example. The response meets the stated length requirement; the 16 words copied from the task prompt are excluded from the count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. This makes the discussion easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand” help distinguish the arguments. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward. “To commence with” and “In addition to this” announce points without always showing their precise relationship, while beginning a sentence with “And” weakens the flow. The conclusion also repeats earlier ideas rather than bringing them together into a clear judgement. Improve progression by linking each example directly to the claim it supports and using references such as “these preserved sites” to avoid repetition and clarify connections.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “historic culture,” “advanced facilities,” “skilled workers,” and “employment opportunities,” which allows you to discuss both sides of the issue. There are also attempts at less common expressions, but some are inaccurate or unnatural: “present historic culture,” “tie with our historical places,” and “magnify the historic culture” do not express the intended ideas clearly. Spelling errors such as “gallaries” and “posses” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe buildings as “preserving cultural heritage” and say that they “attract tourists,” rather than relying on unusual combinations that may confuse the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if old town halls or buildings get replaced … it would create employment” and a relative clause beginning “who are familiar with advanced technologies.” Meaning is generally understandable, but some errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, articles, and verb forms remain. The opening is a sentence fragment: “even though reconstructing old buildings requires a large amount of money” needs to be joined to the following main clause. Other examples include “the local unemployed people gets” and “these modern building.” There is also inconsistent capitalisation after a full stop in “while others.” Review subject–verb agreement, singular and plural forms, and punctuation when joining dependent clauses.

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

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