Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-29

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)

Some people believe that stress and anxiety are more prevalent in the contemporay era than in the past and it is considered as one of the major issues. While others argue that in the past people experienced more pressure but they were not aware from the idea of suffering from stress. In my opinion, nowadys people suffer more from stress due to several reasons than previous generations. Although, people were not aware from the effects of stress, they had to face less pressure than today generation.

People have to suffer more nowadays particularly youngsters. There are various reasons behind the factors of stress and anxiety. One of the primary causes are comparison people compare themselves with other individuals especially when they see the lifestyle of influencers and celebrities. This approach became them ungrateful and lead to frustration and tension. Furthermore, competition among people has increased regardless of the place. In schools students are in stress about their academic progress, adults are in pressure about their careers. The main cause of this frustration is excessive use of social media and competition among young people. For example, merit criteria students have to study hard to get admisssion in their desire universities and

Previously, people had to face less pressure oughing to the less use of digital platforms. They were grateful in which whatever they possesed. Competition maong students existed but not as much as in the present.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You present a clear opinion that people experience more stress today, and you give relevant reasons, including social-media comparisons and competition in education and careers. However, the discussion is only partial: the view that earlier generations faced greater pressure is mentioned briefly, without explaining what those pressures were or why they may have been more severe. The example about university admission is left unfinished, and the response ends without a conclusion that brings the two views together. The response also falls 15 words short of the required minimum. Develop both sides with specific support, complete your example, and add a concise concluding statement to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting your view, and a short paragraph about the past. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “For example” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is uneven because the second body paragraph is very brief, and the example about university admission stops mid-sentence, leaving the argument incomplete. Some connections are also unclear, such as “This approach became them ungrateful,” which makes it difficult to follow how comparison leads to stress. The introduction’s “Although” clause is not smoothly connected to the main claim. Build each paragraph around a complete point, use clear references, and finish with a conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “prevalent,” “competition,” “frustration,” and “academic progress,” and you attempt some less common expressions. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the meaning harder to understand: “aware from the idea,” “became them ungrateful,” and “in stress about” are examples. Spelling errors such as “contemporay,” “nowadys,” and “admisssion” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural combinations such as “aware of stress,” “make them feel ungrateful,” and “under pressure about,” and proofread carefully. More precise vocabulary would help you explain the causes and effects of stress clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a contrast in the opening and a sentence beginning “Although.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur frequently enough to affect clarity. For example, “One of the primary causes are comparison” has subject–verb disagreement, while “Although, people were not aware…” is not correctly joined to a main clause. The sentence about university admission is unfinished, and punctuation around introductory clauses is inconsistent. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement and clause connections. Greater control of these patterns will make your ideas easier to follow.

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.