Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-02

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

It is important for everyone, including young people, to save money for their future.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Saving money is important for everyone. This habit can lessen the burden on the parents of the young and elderly can benefit from it in unexpected circumstances of life. However, in my opinion, saving money is crucial for survival.

On the one hand, in youth years people go through dramatic situations. Some may lose their job and become dependent on their parents. While others may suffer from the sense of inferiority looking at their age-mates outperforming them. They can save themselves from such situations by saving money through the means of savings account or investing into stocks; building assets. This will lessen their dependence on others and may eventually secure their future.

On the other hand, elderly save their money for the future. It might not be just for themselves as they are concerned for their families as well. In most of the Asian countries, traditional values mandate people to own houses for their families. Therefore. elderly might have obligations to fulfill thus, they save money to meet these obligations. For instance, most of elderly are so self-reliant that they might not like being dependent on someone in their old age or when they suffer from illness. Additionally, they are worried about the inheritance they may leave behind to their families. So, saving money is kind of necessary for the adults.

In conclusion, people from all age groups need to save money from my standpoint. Because this helps with mental peace, financial independence and prosperity throughout the life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and takes a clear position that saving money is crucial. However, the ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed, fitting the criteria for this level. Furthermore, it is important to note a critical issue regarding length: the response contains 248 words, which falls short of the minimum requirement of 250 words. While the main arguments concerning youth independence and elderly obligations are relevant, they lack sufficient extension and detailed supporting evidence. For instance, the mention of investing in stocks or traditional Asian values is introduced but not fully explored to show how it directly links to the prompt. To move to a higher band, you need to write at least the minimum required word count and expand your supporting points with deeper explanations and more specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a clear overall structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, showing some organisation of ideas. However, the progression lacks smooth links at times, resulting in a somewhat mechanical flow. Cohesive devices are used, but they are sometimes repetitive or inadequately managed, such as the abrupt transition in punctuation in 'Therefore. elderly' and the repetitive use of 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion within paragraphs could be significantly improved to guide the reader more fluidly through your arguments. To achieve a higher score, you should ensure a more natural progression of ideas by employing a wider variety of cohesive ties and referencing words accurately without relying on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student displays a minimally adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'self-reliant', 'inheritance', and 'financial independence'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations that reveal limitations in word choice. Examples include 'youth years' instead of 'youth' or 'younger years', and the punctuation error 'Therefore. elderly' which also impacts lexical flow. Spelling is generally acceptable, but vocabulary control lacks the precision and flexibility seen at higher bands. To improve, focus on expanding your use of less common lexical items with greater accuracy regarding collocations and natural phrasing, and avoid repetitive word choices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, attempting structures like 'While others may suffer...' and 'For instance, most of elderly are so self-reliant that...'. However, there is a limited range of complex structures overall, and frequent errors in grammar and punctuation appear throughout the text. Noticeable issues include missing articles ('elderly can benefit', 'most of elderly'), incorrect pluralisation or noun phrasing, and punctuation flaws such as the sentence fragment 'thus, they save money to meet these obligations' and the split sentence 'Therefore. elderly'. These errors require some effort from the reader to parse the exact meaning. To reach the next band, you must increase the proportion of error-free complex sentences and maintain tighter control over articles, punctuation, and grammatical agreements.

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

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