Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-05

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)

For centuries, science has played a vital role in the development of modern technology which is being widely used by people in their daily life. However, now many research organizations are heavily investing money on irrelevant projects like space exploration and modification of defense systems instead to work on those projects which can improve the living standards of a person. I strongly agree with the notion that government should invest money in science projects to improve people's lives for some reasons.

Initially, modern science is now researching and inventing the unnecessary gadgets like modern missile systems and armed vehicles for the defense purpose but all these things consume wealth of the country which can be used for health sector to improve its facilities to provide a better place for patients and even a better hospital environment for doctors. For example, in UK and Italy, everyone can access medical treatment without any cost and the hospital's environment is also satisfying there. Now many other countries are inspiring from these nations and making reforms in health sector.

Secondly, science education can also be improved if countries invest more on modern studies instead of old theoretical syllabus without any research major. Basically, modern education is the most important factor which can improve the people’s lives and communication. Education can develop any nation within no time if government start giving attention to it. For instance, some South Asian countries are now focusing more on research based education by getting inspiration from developed countries where this investment gave so much benefits to those countries.

In conclusion, I believe that modern science should be used to research to fulfil the basic needs of people which can improve their life instead of investing on irrelevant things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments are relevant, focusing on the redirection of funds from defense/space to healthcare and education. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the discussion on South Asian countries is vague and lacks specific detail to fully support the claim. While the position is consistent, the essay would benefit from more nuanced exploration of the counter-argument or a more detailed analysis of how science can balance these competing interests. The conclusion is a bit brief and merely restates the introduction rather than synthesizing the main points effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Initially', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition from discussing defense spending to the UK/Italy healthcare example is slightly abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'research organizations', 'theoretical syllabus', and 'modern missile systems'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'without any research major' or 'gave so much benefits'. The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. To improve, the student should focus on using more sophisticated collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the UK', 'the health sector') and pluralization/agreement ('some South Asian countries are now focusing... where this investment gave so much benefits'). Some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'instead to work on those projects which can improve'. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate more consistent control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips.

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

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