Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-29

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 most societies, stress is considered a serious issue, and it is believed that people are in misery from a lot of more stress than they were in the previous years. it is not true that there is more stress because the previous generations had to work way harder than we do and they did not have the innovations and advanced technology that we use in our time. Another reason may be that they were less distractions in the older generation caused by smart phones and their health was better in comparison.

First of all, it is true that a lot more people are in more stress than the previous generations because the current generation is a lot more distracted and tries to do a lot of tasks at the same time which can lead to a lot of stress.

The main reason are smart phones and social media platforms for example, every notification on our digital plat forms such as tik tok, what's app and other messenger applications give us a dopamine shock that causes us to be on the alert 24/7. Another reason is doom scrolling which has negative impacts on brain health and is also a contributor to excessive dopamine hits.

Secondly, the previous generations did not eat fast food as much as the newer generation does because at that time advertisements and social media influencers were unknown to society and junk food was not as popular as it is today. these are the main reasons why their stress level was lower in contrast to the newer generation. They did not have many health issues and their stamina was greater because of the nutritious diet they consumed and the amount of exercise they did on a daily basis.

In conclusion, stress is considered a major problem in most societies and a lot of people think that the older generations coped in a better way with stress . however it may be because of different living life styles and mindsets.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views, but the development is uneven. While you discuss the impact of technology and lifestyle on stress, the argument regarding previous generations is somewhat contradictory; you initially state they worked harder, but later focus on diet and lack of social media. The prompt asks for your own opinion, which is not clearly stated or developed in the introduction or conclusion. To reach a higher band, ensure your position is established early and maintained consistently throughout the essay, and provide more balanced development for both sides of the argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'In most societies' at the start of the essay is a bit abrupt, and the link between the first and second paragraphs is weak. Some sentences lack logical flow, such as the transition between discussing technology and the shift to diet in the third paragraph. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'innovations', 'dopamine shock', and 'nutritious diet'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'in misery from a lot of more stress' and 'less distractions'. The repetition of 'a lot of' and 'reason' limits the sophistication of your writing. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing to show a wider range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally distract the reader. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('The main reason are smart phones'), missing articles, and inconsistent capitalisation (e.g., 'tik tok', 'what's app'). Additionally, some sentences are run-on or lack proper punctuation, such as the start of the second paragraph. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy.

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