Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-11
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)
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 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. In my opinion the modern stress has created new sources of stress that makes people more vulnerable to it than in the past.
On the one hand, the modern stress is more exaggerated. As the stress include the job and education think. Like all the people are in stress nowadays. The stress of work the more work load is there on the employees. There is no work life balance. The parents are having stress of money as the education is costly and all other things also. The stress of paying the fees and completing the demand of children's proper management of money. Another reason, social media includes stress as the people are posting the pictures of vacation and other places because of these the people try to compare with each others lifestyle these also creates stress.
On other hand, the past generation stress was more about the job opportunities and the less financial stability than today. In past there were no social media no comparing of lifestyle. The stress was of family relations and income. The manual work was more in past as there were no machines so people were taking more stress of manual workload.
In conclusion, the stress were different in past and modern generation but, i think that modern stress is more exaggerated than in past. As the social media is increase nowadays the people are taking more stress because of these.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments regarding modern stress (social media, work-life balance) and past stress (manual labor, financial stability) are mentioned but lack depth and specific examples. The essay tends to over-generalize, such as stating 'all the people are in stress nowadays.' The position is clear, but the supporting evidence is somewhat repetitive and lacks the analytical rigor expected for a higher band. To improve, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations or concrete examples rather than listing general observations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'On the one hand' and 'On other hand' are used, but the transition between ideas within paragraphs is sometimes abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'because of these' which lacks a precise antecedent. While there is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and conclusion, the flow is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and limited use of linking words to connect complex ideas effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'stress,' 'work,' and 'money' repeatedly. There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'completing the demand of children's proper management of money' and 'the stress were different.' The attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary is limited, and the phrasing often sounds unnatural. To improve, focus on learning collocations related to the topic, such as 'financial burden,' 'psychological pressure,' or 'technological advancement,' and ensure you use them in the correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the stress were different,' 'the stress include'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'the modern stress is more exaggerated'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the lack of error-free sentences is noticeable. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips, particularly regarding verb tenses and pluralization.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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