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)

Well, old things have its own value but new things are precious too. Some people believe that old buildings should be restored, even if it can be costly while others think that governments should replace them with the new modern buildings. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss both the views and give my opinion.

In this paragraph, I will discuss about the restoration of the old buildings. To begin with, old buildings such as town halls and art galleries have some traditional as well as cultural values. It should be preserve so that we can carry forward the heritage to the next generation. Apart from this, old things have sentimental values. Someone said Old is Gold which is true.

On the other hand, some people want government to replace old buildings with new modern buildings. Firstly, new buildings have modern technology. To elaborate, it has all facilities of automatic turning lights and air conditions on and off in the town halls. Apart from this, art gallaries have high tech locks so that we can preserve arts without theft worries. Even it has a modern architecture which people would appreciate.

In my view, if restoration of the old building is too expensive then making a new building make sense. old ones has its values but if we use the same amount of money and make a new one then why not. Furthermore, having a town halls and art galleries which are equiped with the modern technology is a blessing.

To conclude, make a new buildings instead of restore the old ones.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and give a clear preference for replacing buildings when restoration is too expensive, so the response is relevant to the task. The case for restoration includes cultural heritage and sentimental value, while the case for new buildings mentions technology and security. However, these points are brief and some support is unclear: “Someone said Old is Gold” does not explain why preservation is worthwhile, and the examples of automatic lights and high-tech locks need clearer links to cost or public benefit. Your conclusion favours new buildings, but it is more absolute than the conditional position in the body. Develop the reasons and clarify when restoration should be chosen as well as when replacement makes sense.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, your opinion, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” help readers follow the discussion. However, some linking is mechanical, with “Apart from this” repeated, and the opening of the first body paragraph (“In this paragraph, I will discuss…”) announces the structure rather than advancing the argument. Connections between ideas are sometimes unclear, particularly the move from modern facilities to the claim that people would appreciate the architecture. The conclusion also shifts from a conditional opinion to a broad recommendation. Use more precise links between each reason and its consequence, and make the final position consistent with the body.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to discuss the issue, including “traditional,” “cultural values,” “heritage,” “modern technology,” and “architecture.” These choices make the main ideas understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “old things have its own value,” “air conditions,” and “without theft worries.” There are also spelling errors in “gallaries” and “equiped,” and repeated general words such as “things,” “new,” and “buildings” reduce precision. Aim for more exact collocations, for example, describing a building as having “historical significance” or “modern energy-efficient systems.” Proofread spelling and choose vocabulary that expresses the intended meaning directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including a contrast clause in the introduction and conditional reasoning in “if restoration … is too expensive.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors occur in basic sentence patterns as well as longer ones. Examples include “old things have its own value” (agreement and pronoun reference), “It should be preserve” (passive verb form), “old ones has its values,” and “making a new building make sense.” Articles and plurals are also unreliable in “having a town halls and art galleries.” These errors sometimes make the reader pause, although the overall meaning remains recoverable. Practise subject–verb agreement, singular and plural forms, and passive constructions, then check each sentence for a complete, correctly formed clause.

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