Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-02

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 5.0)

In the contemporary world, stress is treated as a main health issue, and it is believed that these days number of individuals who are suffering from depression have increased as compared to the past. Meanwhile, others argue that as the actual term of stress has become popular nowadays, it does not mean that less people were depressed in the past. I agree with the latter view because the reason behind anxiety were present in the both eras; the past and the present.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

Your response sits at the lowest end of development because you have failed to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as your text contains only 82 words. While you attempt to address both views and state your opinion, the severe lack of length means the topic is only touched upon minimally and tangentially. To reach a higher level, you must fully develop your ideas and arguments with relevant examples and explanations, ensuring you write at least the required number of words to thoroughly discuss both perspectives.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation in your writing, as you introduce the topic and state your position in a single paragraph. However, because the response is extremely short, there is no clear overall progression or multi-paragraph structure. Cohesive devices are minimal, relying on basic connectors like 'meanwhile'. To improve, you need to organise your response into distinct paragraphs with clear logical transitions, such as separate body paragraphs for each view followed by a proper conclusion, using cohesive devices more effectively to guide the reader through your arguments.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You demonstrate a minimally adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using understandable terms such as 'contemporary world', 'depression', and 'anxiety'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation issues, such as writing 'number of individuals who are suffering from depression have increased' instead of 'the number has increased', and confusing 'stress' with 'depression'. There are also spelling and lexical slips. To achieve a higher score, you need to use a wider and more precise range of less common lexical items with accurate collocations and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your grammar shows a limited range of structures, featuring mostly simple and basic complex sentences with frequent errors that cause some difficulty for the reader. For example, phrases like 'the reason behind anxiety were present in the both eras' contain subject-verb agreement errors and unnecessary articles. Punctuation and phrasing also need refinement. To move up to higher bands, you need to incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex structures with strong control over verb forms, articles, and pluralisation.

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

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