Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-09

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some societies, stress is now regarded as a major problem, and it is thought that people suffer from more stress than they did in the past. However, others feel that the amount of stress people have today is exaggerated. They say that previous generations were under more pressure, but the idea of suffering from stress did not exist.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The influence of suffering from stress has become a topic of considerable debate nowadays. People assert that in recent days, people suffer more from anxiety and mental problems than in the past, while others believe that the previous generation used to suffer more.

Supporters of the idea that people suffer more from stress opine that now people are more aware of the facts those are surrounded by them. They are aware of the ideas and tend to feel more stressed. For instance, students suffer most from stress not only because of their education but also because of their career and upcoming development. Again, when they see any of their friends succeed in life, they become more anxious. They start to suffer from inferiority complexes.

Again, critics argue that this generation only thinks about their career. However, people in the past days have to think about all the things around them. They had to manage both their home and life outside of their home. They sometimes felt so distressed that they forgot to attend any functions. They tended to stay away from their family members until they saw their achievements by themselves. They also mentioned that even if they got a job, they tried to stick with that position even if it was not good for them, unlike the young generations.

To conclude, while there is a legitimate concern about stress, I firmly believe that it should be maintained properly. It serves our nerves to do our tasks. Whether it affects more to any stage of life, it should be cured.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You discuss both views: the first paragraph about students’ awareness and career concerns represents the view that stress is greater today, while the next paragraph describes pressures faced by earlier generations. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The examples about students comparing themselves with successful friends are relevant, but the explanation of why this creates more stress remains brief. The account of past generations’ responsibilities and job security is also difficult to connect clearly to the claim that they experienced greater pressure. Your conclusion says stress should be “maintained properly” and “cured,” but does not clearly state which view you find more convincing. Develop each side with clearer reasoning and make your own position explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the broad direction of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the shift from students’ career worries to seeing friends succeed, for example, needs a more explicit explanation of how the comparison increases stress. “Again” is used to introduce both a new point and the opposing view, so it does not always signal the relationship accurately. Some references, such as “They” in the paragraph about earlier generations, could also be clearer. Use more precise transitions and connect each example directly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “anxiety,” “distressed,” “inferiority complexes,” and “achievements,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There is also an attempt to use more formal expressions, such as “considerable debate.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise, which limits clarity: “The influence of suffering from stress” does not express the intended idea naturally, and “in recent days” is not the usual phrase for current times. “Upcoming development” is also unclear in the context of students’ concerns. Aim for accurate collocations and choose words that express the specific pressure being discussed, rather than relying on broad or awkward phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast structure “not only because of their education but also because of their career.” Most sentences communicate the general meaning, but errors in sentence construction and verb forms recur. For example, “the facts those are surrounded by them” has an incorrect relative structure, and “people in the past days have to think” shifts awkwardly between past time and present tense. The sentence beginning “Whether it affects more to any stage of life” is also difficult to interpret because its clause structure and prepositions are not controlled. Practise forming clear relative clauses and maintaining consistent tense when describing past generations; then check that each sentence has a complete, logical structure.

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