Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-09

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 many nations, some people believe that stress is now regarded as a major problem, and it is thought that people suffer from more stress than they did in the past, while others argue that the amount of stress people have today is exaggerated. They say previous generations were under more pressure, but the idea of suffering from stress did not exist. In my opinion, both the generations experienced stress based on their own conditions so we can't say that stress was experienced more by any particular generation.

On the one hand, some individuals believe that current generation experience more stress than earlier because there has been an increment in the amount of workload given to employees. As there are highly developed technologies available in the current era, companies may put more pressure on employees to develop more innovative solutions. This situation can lead to create more stress on today's generation. Additionally, the total population has increased drastically over the years, which increased the amount of competition across all sectors. People are trying hard to get a promotion by competing with their colleagues. Unfortunately, these creates stress on their every day lives.

On the other hand, critics argue that earlier generation experienced more pressure compared with current generation because of a lack of tools and technologies available at that time. If technologies are limited, people often have to do tasks on their own. This can create the stress of completing task in a given amount of time. Moreover, there were limited amount of jobs available in earlier days, which creates unemployement pressure on people. As there were limited industries and factories available in a nation, people often remained umemployed for a longer period, which creates stress on them.

In conclusion, earlier people experienced stress based on umemployement and tasks completion. However, huge competition and increased workload put pressure on current generation. I believe individuals of each generation experienced stress based on their conditions so we cannot judge or argue that stress was experienced more by any particular generation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and give a consistent opinion: stress depends on each generation’s circumstances, so neither can be judged as having experienced more. The two body paragraphs offer relevant reasons, including modern workload and competition, and earlier limitations in technology and employment. This covers the task, but some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the link between population growth and workplace competition could be supported with a clearer example, while the claim that earlier generations had fewer jobs needs more context. The discussion also focuses mainly on work-related pressures, leaving other possible sources of stress unexplored. Develop each main reason with a specific illustration or explanation to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion that restates your position. The signposts “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, with several points linked through repeated “Additionally,” “Moreover,” and “As” constructions. Some connections are also unclear: “Unfortunately, these creates stress” does not clearly refer back to the preceding idea, and the conclusion lists pressures without synthesising how they support your balanced view. Use more precise referencing and vary the way you connect explanations and examples so the argument flows more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “workload,” “innovative solutions,” “competition,” and “unemployed,” which allows you to discuss both modern and historical pressures. Meaning is generally clear, but several word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems reduce precision. For instance, “increment in the amount of workload” is less natural than “increase in workload,” and “creates stress on their every day lives” uses an awkward collocation. “Unemployement” and “umemployed” are misspelled, and “current generation” is repeated where a more varied expression would help. Aim for accurate, natural combinations and check spelling carefully; this would make your vocabulary more flexible and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning with “because,” “which,” and “as,” and most ideas remain understandable. Some grammatical errors occur in agreement, articles, and verb forms. For example, “current generation experience” needs a singular verb or a plural subject, while “these creates” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “This can lead to create,” the verb pattern is incorrect; use “lead to creating” or “lead to stress.” There are also number and article issues in “limited amount of jobs” and “completing task.” Review agreement and countable-noun patterns, and proofread longer sentences to ensure that each clause is grammatically complete and correctly linked.

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