Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-03
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
The most important aim of science should be to improve people’s lives. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Science has played a vital role in the development of modern society. Some people believe that primary purpose should be to improve human life. I strongly agree with this view because scientific research should ultimately benefit society, it can also contribute to expanding human knowledge.\
The main reason I agree is that science has improved people's quality life. Medical has given us vaccines, antibiotics and other surgical techniques that has saved life of millions of people and increased life expectancy. Similarly, there are other technologies like smartphone, laptops, computers and other devices which have made human life easier. Without these modern life was impossible.
Another important thing, science also helps in solving global problems. Climate change, food resources are the major problems which requires scientific solutions. The scientists are developing environmentally friendly technologies, and clean energy sources to make sustainable future. Therefore, scientific research should work on well being of human and protecting environment.
However, some people believe that science should also pursue knowledge without immediate practical benefits. History shows that many important discoveries, such as space exploration and quantum physics have little practical value but later led to significant technological advances. Therefore, basic scientific research is important because it's long term benefits may not be of immediate use.
In my opinion, scientific curiosity should be encouraged, the ultimate goal of science should be improve the lives of the people. The research like health, education and society should benefit the human and should give the priority.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that the science main aim should improve the people's lives. Although some research are done to increase the knowledge, they often produce valuable applications in the future. Therefore, improving human well-being should remain the main purpose of scientific research.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have successfully balanced the argument by acknowledging the importance of basic research while ultimately supporting the view that science should prioritize human welfare. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported with examples like medical advancements and environmental technology. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting points are fully extended; for instance, the discussion on 'space exploration' is a good start but could be linked more explicitly to how it eventually serves human needs to strengthen your central thesis.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and you use transition signals such as 'Similarly', 'Another important thing', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some cohesive devices are slightly mechanical or repetitive. For example, 'Another important thing' is a bit informal and could be replaced with a more sophisticated transition like 'Furthermore' or 'In addition'. Additionally, the referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the counter-argument and your own opinion could be smoother to enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'sustainable future', 'technological advances', and 'scientific curiosity'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'Medical has given us' (should be 'Medical science' or 'Medicine') and 'quality life' (should be 'quality of life'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding the omission of necessary articles or prepositions when discussing abstract concepts.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'surgical techniques that has saved' (should be 'have saved') and 'some research are done' (should be 'is done'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation errors, such as comma splices in the introduction and the fifth paragraph. While these errors rarely impede meaning, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent pluralization will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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