Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-02

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 5.5)

Feeling stressful is now regarded as a major problem in certain societies. It is assumed that people in the past suffer less stress than those at present. However, there are some people who feel the amount of stress people have today is exaggerated. Also, they say thay the past generations were under more pressure although the idea of feeling stress did not exist. In my opinion, the idea of people nowsadays have more stressful situations is far more convincing.

Firstly, in these days, people become more stressful easily due to many factors such as costs and jobs. As the prices of food and other necessities has been rising, individuals have to try harder to earn money to cover these expenses. It could lead them to experience pressure and stress. Sometimes, the less coorporative work environment also make you feel stress. For example, when a project has to be implemented in time and when the colleges do not take their responsible properly, people would feel frustrated, being unable to control the balance between work and personal life.

On the other hand, people in the past might suffer stress while they do not notice what stressful feeling is. As the previous generations had slow living, it is possible to them suffering less pressure unlike generations today. However, the individuals in the past had to suffer pressure even on basic situations and tasks, including transportation and housing.

In conclusion, there is a controversial among people who think the present generation experiences more stress and those who assume the previous one suffers more stress. From my perspective, the idividuals in recent years engage with more stressful circumstances based on many aspects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state your position clearly in the introduction and conclusion: you find the view that people today face more stress “far more convincing.” The discussion is relevant, with present-day costs and work pressures as examples, and you acknowledge that earlier generations faced pressures involving housing and transport. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the explanation of past stress is brief, and the claim that earlier people “had slow living” does not clearly establish whether they experienced less pressure or simply described it differently. To strengthen the response, explain the opposing view more fully and support each main point with a specific example or clearer reasoning. Your position is present, but its supporting argument remains somewhat limited.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting the view that modern life is stressful, a contrasting paragraph about the past, and a conclusion. “Firstly,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help signal these stages. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear. For example, the sentence about colleagues not taking responsibility leads to frustration, but the connection to balancing work and personal life is compressed. The past-focused paragraph also moves quickly from slower living to pressure over basic needs without explaining the relationship between these ideas. Some linking phrases feel formulaic, and references such as “they” and “it” could be clearer. Develop each paragraph around a more explicit sequence of claim, explanation, and example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “necessities,” “expenses,” “pressure,” “frustrated,” and “personal life,” and you attempt more specific expressions such as “work environment.” However, a limited range of repeated words—especially “stress,” “pressure,” and “people”—makes the discussion less flexible. Several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, including “feeling stressful,” “slow living,” and “a controversial among people.” There are also spelling errors such as “thay,” “coorporative,” and “idividuals,” which reduce accuracy. Aim to use a wider set of natural expressions for causes and effects, and check spelling and collocations carefully. More precise vocabulary would make your ideas easier to follow without changing their meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “as,” “when,” and “although,” and most of the main ideas remain understandable. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. For example, “people in the past suffer less stress” needs consistent tense, while “the prices … has been rising” has a subject–verb agreement problem. In “the less … work environment also make you feel stress,” the verb does not agree with its subject, and the sentence shifts to “you” after discussing individuals. The phrase “it is possible to them suffering” is also structurally incomplete. Practise checking each sentence’s subject and verb, and use complex clauses only when their grammatical relationships are clear.

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