Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-28

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 people argue that it is a good idea to spend money on renovating old buildings, such as town halls and art galleries even if it is expensive. However, others believe that they should be replaced by newly built and modern looking buildings by the governments. Although, both the views have diferent merits, I strongly agree with the view of governments spending money on developing new buildings because it is a good financial decision.

On the one hand, some people believe that it is a wise decision to allocate funds to construct new buldings in the city as it is more cost-oriented. The amount that governments spend on the new buldings is far more less than managing an old one due to modern technology usage in the construction. Furthermore, the buildings can be taken in usage for a longer period of time. For instance, art galleries and town halls are now built by readymade concrete blocks, which are mass-produced across the world and are quite cheaper than the out-dated earth bricks.

On the other hand, some people believe that restoration of old buildings is important for local economy even if it is done by paying a huge amount. The reason behind this is that due to these tourist attractions like art galleries and town halls, local business owners can survive financialy. It helps them to earn a sustainable amount of money required for their existance. For example, many tattoo shop owners reported on the internet that people visiting art galleries often tattoo their bodies to make their visit memorable.

In conclusion, Some people support expensive repairs of old buildings due to its support to the local economy survival, I believe that authorities should allocate funds to construct new and modern buildings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both positions and state your own view clearly: you favour new construction because you consider it a better financial decision. The paragraph on restoration also gives a reason—tourism may support local businesses—and an example involving visitors to galleries. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The claim that new buildings cost less is asserted rather than demonstrated, and the example about tattoo shops is unusual and does not clearly show how restoring historic buildings benefits the wider local economy. Explain the views more fully and use examples that directly support them, such as maintenance costs, heritage value, or tourism revenue. The response contains 282 words; 9 words copied from the task prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The signposts “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the contrast, while “For instance” introduces supporting detail. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The first body paragraph begins by discussing constructing new buildings, although the preceding contrast could be made more explicit, and the conclusion repeats the two positions without drawing the reasoning together. The reference in “due to these tourist attractions” is also vague. Use clearer links between each claim and its explanation, and make the conclusion briefly summarise why your preferred option is stronger.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “allocate funds,” “restoration,” “tourist attractions,” and “local economy,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at less common expressions, but several choices and spelling errors reduce precision: “cost-oriented” does not naturally express lower cost, “taken in usage” is awkward, and “financialy” and “existance” are misspelled. Phrases such as “the local economy survival” are also unnatural. Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe buildings as “less costly to maintain” and say that businesses “benefit from tourist spending.” This would make the argument clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession in “even if it is expensive” and a reason clause beginning “because.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. “Although, both the views have…” uses punctuation incorrectly and an unnecessary article; “far more less” has an incorrect comparative form; and “the buildings can be taken in usage” is not a well-formed passive construction. There are also agreement and sentence-boundary problems in the conclusion, where “Some people support…” is joined to “I believe…” with a comma. Practise forming comparisons, articles, and passive structures, and separate or correctly join independent clauses.

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

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