Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-04

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people think that the fictional violence portrayed on television is harmless entertainment. Others disagree and think that it encourages violent behaviour.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

People argue that fictional violence shown on social media or streaming platforms is just there for entertainment and does not project a harmful message. However, others debate that any kind of violence displayed on these platforms can effect how people think in a negative way. This essay will consider both views before explaining why I believe showing this kind of content can encourage people and children in normalizing these acts of violence.

On the one hand, portraying fictional violence on these platforms is a good way of storytelling and enables viewers to accept fictional genres as entertaining, which could help content creators to achieve success. For example, a content creator from a poor family starts uploading fictional violence it would help him do better for himself as people would start to like his way of story telling and this would encourage other fictional content creators to catch on.

On the other hand, people say that making explicit content even if it is fictional can cause people to get comfortable with the idea of performing such acts. Not everyone on earth has got the knowledge to differ between fictional and nonfictional which causes them to believe everything their eyes see. This could lead to people not taking proper action against preforming and normalizing these act to such extent it would be hard for the community to understand what is wrong. For example

In conclusion, I believe our children and adults should be kept away from these accessing such content as it could be harmful for the community and would eventually be considered normal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is inconsistent. The first body paragraph is vague, using an unclear example about a 'content creator from a poor family' that does not effectively illustrate the argument regarding storytelling. The second body paragraph is incomplete, as the sentence starting with 'For example' is left unfinished. This lack of development and the incomplete nature of the response significantly hinder the depth of the argument. To improve, ensure that every point is fully explained with relevant, logical examples and that all sentences are completed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, the progression of ideas is weak. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is mechanical, and the lack of a completed example in the second paragraph disrupts the flow of the argument. Furthermore, the concluding paragraph is very brief and does not effectively summarize the main points discussed. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, logical structure would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'project a harmful message' (convey) and 'differ between' (distinguish). The range is limited, and the essay relies on repetitive phrasing. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and idiomatic expressions related to the topic of media and psychology, while ensuring that words are used in their correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'can effect how people think' (affect), 'not everyone on earth has got the knowledge' (lacks the knowledge), and 'preforming and normalizing these act' (performing/acts). Subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and refining sentence construction will be beneficial.

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

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