Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-04

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)

Yes, according to my point of view, science should play an important role in making people live comfortably and without any harm. Also, science has played a crucial role so far in improving the social lives of everyone, and to some extent, you can say that science plays a crucial part in all our lives.

Firstly, we can see the development in the health department across the globe. This has happened just because of science and scientists. As we know, diseases such as cancer and typhoid that could not be cured in the past can be cured in recent years, and this example shows how significantly science has improved our lives. Because of science, we know about the state of mind, as the term psychology was introduced. Not only in health, electronic things like refrigerators, air conditioners, and other components came due to scientists' great experiments and discoveries.

The discovery of mobile phones is not less than a blessing, as we can talk to anyone far from us. Scientists have made our work easier and quicker, which used to take days to complete. Without science, I think it is quite difficult to survive nowadays, and this is the reason why it has greatly improved our lives.

Though some people think space exploration is a kind of approach that is useless, as discoveries from space exploration, such as extinct species, are nothing more than a waste of time, I think it may not have any advantage now, but for future people, it could make a great turnaround.

In short, I believe the main goal of science is always to improve our lives, and because of scientific discoveries, we are comfortably living our lives. Yes, there are some approaches like different kinds of exploration, but they may work in the future for the next generation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that science should aim to improve lives. The ideas are relevant, such as medical advancements and communication technology. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of psychology and 'electronic things' is quite general and lacks depth. While the counter-argument regarding space exploration is introduced, it is not fully integrated into the main argument, and the explanation remains simplistic. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, nuanced examples and ensure that the link between scientific aims and human welfare is explored with greater analytical depth rather than just listing benefits.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a progression of ideas from health to technology and then to a counter-argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'Firstly', 'Also', and 'In short' are used to link ideas, but the transitions between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that ideas flow more naturally from one to the next would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'electronic things', 'good', and 'important'. While you attempt some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'scientific discoveries' and 'extinct species', the range is limited. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'electronic things' instead of 'electronic appliances' or 'technological devices'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and collocations that demonstrate a wider range of expression, rather than relying on general, everyday language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'The discovery of mobile phones is not less than a blessing' is slightly unnatural, and 'electronic things... came due to' is grammatically weak. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. You should aim to incorporate more varied complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while ensuring greater accuracy in your basic sentence construction.

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

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