Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The ease of international travel and the spread of various kinds of mass media all over the world have made it more possible than ever for people to know how other people live in other countries.

Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The advantages and disadvantages of knowing about other people's lifestyles in other countries, given the availability of diverse media and international travel.

No, the advantages of this development do not outweigh the disadvantages. In this digital era, we can easily introduce ourselves to the world. It is so effortless to learn about other people's lifestyles because of the internet. Every other country has different culture, norms, values, habits, believes. We can easily research those things if we need to know so that we don't have to bother or waste our time. People willingly share about themselves on social media, so knowing about them from a positive perspective, like travel, research, and investigation, is normal.

Easy travel is contributing hugely in our life. Now we can move to any country within days, and we don't have to worry about maps, food, or the beliefs of those people. Recently, I visited South Korea, and I didn't face any trouble with their culture because of social media. I am a huge Korean drama fan. I learned about how they talk, their food, and their history by watching those dramas. I also searched for famous locations on social media, and I just saw some Heavenly nature. Their hospitality was top-notch; I didn't face any problems there. They also welcomed me happily.

In conclusion, I don't think easy travel and mass media can outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You give a clear answer—“the advantages … do not outweigh the disadvantages”—and include a relevant personal example about visiting South Korea. However, the response does not explain what the disadvantages are, despite taking the position that they outweigh the benefits. Most of the essay instead describes the benefits of online research and travel, so the reasoning does not support your conclusion. The final sentence repeats your position without summarising or justifying it. The response is also 19 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop the argument. To strengthen the response, identify specific drawbacks, such as cultural stereotyping or the loss of privacy, and compare them directly with the benefits using developed examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic structure: an opening position, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The South Korea example is placed in a paragraph about travel and media, and phrases such as “Recently” and “In conclusion” help signal movement between ideas. However, the overall progression is difficult to follow because the opening claims the disadvantages are greater, while both body paragraphs mainly present advantages. The first paragraph also moves from online research to social-media sharing without explaining how these points connect to the stated position. The conclusion simply repeats the opening. Build a clearer sequence by giving each paragraph one main argument, linking examples to that argument, and using contrast markers to compare benefits with drawbacks.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “lifestyles,” “norms,” “hospitality,” and “famous locations,” and the personal example makes some descriptions clear. There are also attempts at more expressive language, such as “top-notch.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural in context: “introduce ourselves to the world” does not clearly express learning about other cultures, and “I just saw some Heavenly nature” is vague and awkward. “Believes” is also the wrong word form where you mean “beliefs.” Some wording is repetitive, particularly references to “people” and “social media.” Aim for precise collocations and a more formal register, especially when presenting arguments, and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, including the conditional phrase “if we need to know” and the relative clause “because of social media.” Most sentences communicate their basic meaning, and the South Korea example is generally easy to follow. However, control is uneven in places. “Every other country has different culture” needs an article or plural form, and “I learned about how they talk” is an awkwardly constructed clause. The sentence beginning “People willingly share…” also combines several ideas without a clear grammatical relationship. There is limited variety in sentence patterns, with many short statements joined by “and.” Practise accurate articles and clause construction, then use a wider range of complex sentences while keeping each sentence focused.

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