Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-20

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)

It is clearly visible that nowadays people are facing different kinds of stress weather it is form the past or present. Different generations are facing different kind of stress. Here I firmly believe that the amount of stress today is exaggerated.

Here we can see in the current generation, stress is becoming a major part of the life. Every individual is trapped in a cage of stress and it happens because of the different scenarios. The major thing people feel stress is because of lack of mental stability, However it is not as big is what people had made it up. Eventually every stress has its own way out. Moreover today this term stress is greatly exaggerated due to social media platforms where people discuss about it openly and gives each other solutions to it.

For example, One of my friend was in a lot of stress, hence he called me and told me that he is feeling a little stressed so as friend i asked him the reason he stated that he is feeling stress due to his coming exams which he is not prepared for. Here we can see that present generation is stressed about a thing which can be resolved but they are so trapped in their own minds that they can figure anything out.

On the other hand stress was not a big issue in previous generation, because the people from that generation was never as serious as about today's generation. Ironically people from previous generations know how to be happy even if there were lack of resources. They were more inclined in their own work which was to feed the family. During that time the term stress was not a matter of concern because people wouldn't call it stress they use to call it hardwork which needs to be done . For example i was going trough a village where i saw they didn't have facilities like toilets still they keeps a smile on their face and starts the day

To conclude that it is stated that the stress in todays generation is exaggerated compared to previous generation

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument that stress is 'exaggerated' due to social media is a good point, but it lacks depth. The comparison with previous generations is also a bit simplistic, relying on anecdotal evidence rather than a more analytical approach. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the 'why' and 'how' behind these societal shifts, providing more nuanced reasoning rather than general statements about people being 'trapped in a cage of stress'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. Phrases like 'Here we can see' and 'For example' are used frequently, and some transitions between sentences are abrupt. The logical flow within paragraphs could be improved; for example, the shift from discussing social media to the anecdote about a friend feels slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'the major thing people feel stress is because of' and 'they keeps a smile on their face'. You rely on basic descriptors like 'big issue' and 'major part'. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to mental health and societal trends. Avoid informal phrasing and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.

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 the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'people from that generation was never'), incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'they use to call it'), and punctuation errors. The misuse of 'weather' instead of 'whether' and 'form' instead of 'from' suggests a need for more careful proofreading. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.

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