Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-29

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)

Construction and restoration of historical buildings is a topic of great controversy amoung citizens.Well keeping the buildings as a memory and maintainance of buildings because of ehich the city is known,should be done by the government and shuting down the debate for new modern buildings could be done on vacant land.

On one hand,there are certain population that are true to their country,they donot want new buildings to construct in place of old buildings,art galleries etc as these places are historical landmarks,and these are the irreplaceable treasures that anchor a city's identity and holds immense value for both locals and travelers.

Understandably,cost is the main issue,so it can basically fuel its economy through tourism and government should also have major role in the maintainence of such cultural heritage sites.

On the other hand,some locals argue that these cultural landmarks should be demolished and new modern buildings should be made instead.These are mojority of the youth as they do not know the value of the old architectures.They just compare their cities with foreign modern cities and want tp set their lifestyles according to them.They have interest in the historical landmarks because they love technology and modernism and they don't have nostalgia for historical areas.

At some point,they are correct as well, as they want to have up-to-date stuff according to the new technology, they don't prefer old school stuff as they find it boring.

Well,in my opinion old buildings should stay there and government should do the maintainence when needed.As these buildings hold a heritage and the these buildings have become rare now,the work done has been obselete as the new architects are unable to build such monuments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both perspectives and give a clear preference for preserving old buildings. The first view is supported with relevant points about historical landmarks, city identity, tourism and cultural heritage; the final paragraph also explains that such monuments are now rare and difficult to recreate. The opposing view is included through the desire for modern, technology-oriented buildings, and you acknowledge that this preference can be understandable. However, this side is less fully developed: the claim that young people do not value historic architecture is broad and would benefit from a concrete example or a practical reason, such as accessibility or the cost of adapting old buildings. Your position is clear, but explaining how preservation can be balanced with modern needs would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an opening position, paragraphs presenting each view, and a concluding opinion. Transitions such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “in my opinion” help readers follow the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes uneven. For example, the paragraph about modern buildings moves from young people’s attitudes to technology and then to nostalgia without clearly connecting these points. The opening sentence after the introduction is also difficult to follow, and the final paragraph repeats the preference for preservation rather than drawing the discussion together. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each reason to its consequence; more precise referencing would also help readers track what “these” and “they” refer to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “historical landmarks,” “city’s identity,” “cultural heritage sites,” and “modernism,” which helps communicate the subject. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “irreplaceable treasures” and “anchor a city’s identity.” However, spelling errors and awkward or inaccurate word choices are noticeable, including “amoung,” “maintainance,” “mojority,” and “obselete.” Some phrases are not natural in context, such as “true to their country” and “fuel its economy through tourism.” Repeated use of “buildings” and “old” also limits variety. Aim for accurate collocations and use alternatives such as “historic structures,” “preserve,” and “generate tourism revenue” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “as” and “because,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in longer sentences. The opening contains a fragment-like construction (“Well keeping the buildings as a memory…should be done”), while “there are certain population” has an agreement and article problem. In “these are the irreplaceable treasures… and holds immense value,” the subject and verb do not agree. Several sentences also run together or use commas where a full stop would make the structure clearer. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, checking agreement and articles, and separating independent clauses with appropriate punctuation.

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