Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-13

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

It is sometimes possible to pay somebody to do things you don't want to do, or don't have time to do, for example, household chores or looking after children.

Is this a good way of providing work for others?

Should people do these things themselves?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

It is not impossible once in a while to pay individuals to help out with things that you do not feel like doing or you do not have the luxury of time to do, for instance house chores and minding the kids.

To begin with,not everyone has a lot of time at their disposal to do a lot of things themselves, for example, staying with the children when they have to go out or attend an important meeting, therefore they pay people to do the job for them, i believe this is a good source of employment for others because they would be paid for the number of hours they work for, they would also have something tangible to do instead of roaming around the street jobless.

i also believe that this is a good source of employment becuase it will reduce the level of theft in the society for instance if a person goes to his or her place of work early in the morning and returns late at night, there will be no time to do get involved in shady businesses.

On the other hand, people believe that individuals should perform household chores and take care of their children themselves rather than pay others to do so. this is becuase it can help you save a lot of money and develop a source of responsibility. for example if you prepare meals and do h

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both questions: you argue that hiring help can provide employment, then introduce the view that people should do chores and childcare themselves to save money and build responsibility. The examples about parents attending meetings and workers returning late are relevant. However, the response is incomplete: the final sentence breaks off at “if you prepare meals and do h”, so the second position is not explained or supported fully, and your own overall view is not made clear. The employment argument also relies on a broad claim that paid work will reduce theft, without explaining why this follows. The response is 14 words below the required minimum. Develop both sides with specific reasoning and examples, and state your position clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: the opening introduces the topic, “To begin with” signals the first argument, and “On the other hand” introduces a contrasting view. These markers help readers follow the basic direction. However, progression is limited because the first body paragraph combines several points—time pressure, employment, and reduced theft—without clearly separating or developing them. The second paragraph ends mid-sentence, leaving the contrast unfinished and the essay without a conclusion. Some linking is also mechanical, with repeated “for example” and “because.” Use one main idea per paragraph, explain how each example supports it, and add a concluding paragraph that directly answers both questions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “household chores,” “source of employment,” “responsibility,” and “shady businesses.” There are also attempts at less common phrasing, such as “at their disposal” and “something tangible to do.” However, some expressions are awkward or imprecise: “minding the kids” is informal for this essay, “do get involved in shady businesses” is an unnatural collocation, and “roaming around the street jobless” is not idiomatic. Spelling errors such as “becuase” are noticeable, and “house chores” would be more naturally expressed as “household chores.” Choose precise, formal collocations and proofread spelling to make your meaning smoother.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a conditional structure in “if a person goes to his or her place of work early in the morning and returns late at night.” This shows some ability to connect clauses and express reasons. However, long sentences are often joined without adequate punctuation, making relationships between ideas difficult to follow; the opening body sentence, for example, runs through several clauses joined by commas. Capitalisation is inconsistent, as “i” begins sentences in lowercase, and the final sentence is incomplete. There are also problems with sentence boundaries and spacing after punctuation. Break long sentences into clearer units, use full stops and commas accurately, and check each sentence for a complete subject and verb.

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