Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-15

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)

Few communities believe nowadays stress is a significant problem than people suffer in their past. Although others feel individuals of previous generation suffer more than todays generation. In my opinion, stress is a major issue than past.

On the one hand, people feel this idea of suffering did not exist because in this modern period people are developed with this technical innovations where they can divert their mind and feel free as problem solving technique. Elaborating further, the disappearance of stress is because people are more concerned with their well being where in this modern era there are different ways to divert their emotion. For example, people are strongly addicted to social media where there are some content creators with motivational and confidential contents by this people feel free and believe stress do not exist.

On the other hand, I favour with the individuals who think stress is a major problem than past because nowadays adults are particularly addicted with young relationships which is wrong. Moreover, this kind of problems leads to a mental pressure whereas particularly age group below 18 plays a significant role where there are not in a correct path. For instance, in todays schools children are more interested in other activities particularly in love angles rather than their studies, modern technology like mobile phones plays a important role for these issues.

In conclusion, I think young children are facing this kind of stress issues with lack of proper guidance. It is true that stress is now regarded as a major problem than it did in past.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. The explanation of why previous generations might have had more stress is somewhat confusing, focusing on 'technical innovations' and 'social media' rather than the historical context of survival or labor. The second body paragraph attempts to link stress to 'young relationships' and 'love angles,' which feels tangential to the broader societal concept of stress. While the task is addressed, the arguments lack depth and logical consistency, often relying on generalizations that do not fully support the prompt's premise. To improve, ensure that your arguments directly relate to the prompt and provide more logical, well-reasoned explanations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing and unclear transitions. While cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'Moreover' are used, they are often followed by sentences that do not logically flow from the previous point. For example, the transition to the discussion of social media is abrupt and does not clearly connect to the idea of stress in the past. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with the use of 'this' and 'these' without a clear antecedent. Improving the clarity of your topic sentences and ensuring each sentence builds logically on the last would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'technical innovations where they can divert their mind' and 'love angles.' Some phrases are repetitive, and the use of 'confidential contents' is likely a misuse of the word. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more academic vocabulary and ensuring that your word choices are appropriate for the context of a formal essay. Expanding your range of synonyms and practicing collocations will help you express your ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'stress do not exist'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'individuals of previous generation suffer more than todays generation'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic errors and practicing the correct use of articles and verb tenses will be beneficial.

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

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