Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-14

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 4.5)

It is often argue in some societies that stess is now known as a major problem, and it is believed that individuals suffer from more stress than they did in the past because of technology and work. 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. This is because of poverty and difficult living conditions. I think people suffer more stress in the past than now.

Technology is an invention in the new generation and is one of the causes of stress. This is because it is mentally demanding and involves a lot of trainings. People find it difficult and challenging to full understand it operations. For example, a woman who bought grinding machine for her business and finding it difficult to pu

One of the major reasons people in the past suffer from stress is difficult living conditions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 250 words, containing only 162 words and cutting off mid-sentence. Consequently, the task cannot be fully addressed. The writer attempts to introduce both views in the introduction and mentions technology and living conditions, but the ideas remain severely under-developed. For instance, the paragraph on technology trails off abruptly ("a woman who bought grinding machine for her business and finding it difficult to pu"). The conclusion contradicts the introduction by stating that people suffered more stress in the past, but the arguments are not sustained due to the truncated length. Under IELTS guidelines, this under-length response cannot achieve a band score above 4.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The essay attempts a standard structure with an introduction and body paragraphs, but the overall progression is severely disrupted by the incomplete text. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final body paragraph consists of only a single sentence before the essay cuts off entirely. Cohesive devices such as "However" and "This is because" are used, but referencing and logical flow break down due to the fragmentary nature of the writing. Paragraph division is irregular and incomplete, preventing any clear development of logical organization throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, with several noticeable lexical and spelling errors. For example, the student writes "It is often argue" instead of "argued" and misspells stress as "stess". Phrases like "mentally demanding" and "difficult living conditions" show an attempt to use more precise language appropriate for an academic task, but these are limited in range. Word choices are adequate for basic communication, but lexical control is weak, and vocabulary errors occur frequently enough to hinder precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as "However, others feel that the amount of stress people have today is exaggerated." However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are basic errors in verb forms, such as "It is often argue" and tense inconsistencies when comparing past and present conditions ("people suffer more stress in the past"). Because the response cuts off mid-sentence, complex structures are frequently left incomplete. Errors occur regularly, but basic sentence structures remain comprehensible.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.