Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-02

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 recent years, there has been a considerable debate that whether people are getting depressed over small reasons or is it the main reason why every individual has lost his confidence. In my point of view, our new generation are suffering from stress and discomfort on daily basis.

At first, the previous generations are were never familiar of the wide range of career options, they never got the freedom to explore the world, additionally, they never had the opportunity to be around the technology. This truly made their path easier without any complications, as at that time there was no fierce competition among the students. It happened once in a blue moon when a student failed to get admission in his desired field. For instance, one of my relatives who is currently a civil engineer was once a spoiled kid. He used to study one night before the exam clearing all the parts in just one go and the university never demanded a high score for offering an admission letter.

However, today we know how challenging it has become for numerous students to get what they wish for. They need to make efforts with consistency knowing that they can be rejected by the closest of margins. Nowadays, the universities offer admission to only those students who perform well in their entrance exam. It has become a tough nut to crack. Students are suffering from stress throughout this challenging period can be overwhelming. The lack of career counsellors makes it even harder to figure out the right career path. For example, my friend who is currently a medical student. His wish was to crack the MDCAT and enroll himself in a high rank university offering him a reasonable fees structure. Unluckily, he got rejected by a margin of 0.55% which made him questioned his efforts.

To sum up, people of this generation are more likely to be in depression and stress as compared to the previous one. The concept of stress has emerged with the introduction of competition and the sense of being ahead of the other person.

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 uneven. While you provide personal examples, the analysis of why previous generations might have been under more pressure is limited to a lack of technology and career options, which is a somewhat narrow interpretation. To reach a higher band, you should explore the psychological or societal aspects of 'stress' more deeply, rather than focusing primarily on academic competition. The conclusion is clear, but the initial introduction is slightly confusing in its phrasing regarding 'small reasons' and 'lost confidence,' which does not perfectly align with the prompt's focus on the nature of stress.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices like 'At first,' 'However,' and 'To sum up' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as the transition between the second and third paragraphs. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence builds logically upon the previous one will help improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including phrases like 'fierce competition,' 'tough nut to crack,' and 'once in a blue moon.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'getting depressed over small reasons' is not the most natural way to express the concept of stress, and 'clearing all the parts' is informal. There are also minor errors in word formation, such as 'made him questioned his efforts' instead of 'made him question.' To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that idiomatic expressions are used in appropriate contexts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'there has been a considerable debate that whether' (incorrect structure), 'previous generations are were never familiar of' (repetition and incorrect preposition), and 'Students are suffering from stress throughout this challenging period can be overwhelming' (a run-on/fused sentence structure). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but subject-verb agreement and preposition usage need more attention. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic grammatical slips will significantly improve your score.

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

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