Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-23

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 5.0)

We live in a very fast paced world, It is normal to assume that the stress we feel today is more than people did in the past, I think to understand this question we need to take a look at the way of life in the past.

People in the past led very different and arguably difficult lives,

Most of the facilities and infrastructure we have today was not even an idea in the past, People had to hunt their own food, Sew their own clothes had to look after their livestock. All difficult tasks but the difficulty of life does is not an accurate measure of one's life. The people in the past had to work harder but that does not mean that they were stressed, probably their lives were mostly spent doing physical tasks while research shows that the stress comes from the lack thereof.

In todays fast paced world while our lives have become very convenient that does not mean we have less to worry about we are quick with the tasks that we have on hand, that leaves us with more to think about and research shows stress stems from overthinking and free time.

In my opinion that in today's world we are more stressed than the people in the past the idea that just because we had no instrument or thought to measure stress does not mean that there is evidence that people of that time were more stressed. Today loneliness is an epidemic while we are the most connected generation ever, the individualism that has stemed from the isolation has forced us to think that every victory has to claimed by only oneself which pressures us into oblivion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both views regarding modern versus historical stress levels and provides the writer's own opinion in the final paragraph. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and lacks specific examples or strong supporting evidence. For instance, the assertion that 'research shows stress stems from overthinking and free time' is mentioned without elaboration or concrete examples. Furthermore, the first view is discussed primarily in terms of physical hardship versus psychological strain, but the arguments remain rather general. The position is clear, but the support tends to generalise rather than fully extend the arguments. This performance corresponds to a Band 6.0, as all parts of the task are addressed, but some areas require deeper exploration and more thorough support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay demonstrates a basic logical organisation with a clear introduction and conclusion, fitting the overall arrangement of an IELTS task 2 response. However, paragraphing and cohesion require significant improvement. The second paragraph is excessively long and contains multiple comma splices, such as 'We live in a very fast paced world, It is normal to assume...', which disrupts the flow of ideas. Cohesive devices are minimal or misused, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the dangling clauses in the final paragraph regarding individualism and isolation. There is no clear progression within the body paragraphs, and the transitions between sentences feel mechanical or abrupt. These features place the response firmly at Band 5.0 for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate for discussing lifestyle and psychological concepts, using terms such as 'infrastructure', 'convenient', 'epidemic', and 'individualism'. However, there are notable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and formation. For example, 'stemed' contains a spelling error, and phrases like 'pressures us into oblivion' are awkward collocations that do not sound natural in academic writing. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the writer's message and allows for some discussion of abstract ideas, frequent lexical flaws and awkward phrasing prevent the response from achieving a higher band, making Band 5.0 the most accurate assessment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical structure of the essay is heavily impacted by run-on sentences and comma splices. The very first sentence ('We live in a very fast paced world, It is normal to assume...') incorrectly links independent clauses with only a comma. Throughout the text, there is a heavy reliance on loose coordination and comma usage rather than proper subordination or terminal punctuation. While the writer attempts some complex structures, these attempts frequently result in grammatical faults and punctuation errors that cause difficulty for the reader. The range of structures is limited, and error-free sentences are infrequent. Therefore, this performance warrants a Band 5.0.

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