Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 5.5)

The accessability of easy foreign travel and the distribution of different types of mass media across the world have made it possible to know how different nations live in other countries. I believe that this development has more advantages than disadvantages.

The first benefit of this development is that people of developed countries can join cultural festivals of different developing countries. Social media plays an important role in spreading different kinds of announcements which gets attention from different countries and as a result people make their schedule to participate in those events and enjoy themselves. For example, in Indian city, Kasol, every year, thousands of tourists participate in a recreational festival to get piece of mind and the opportunity to make a strong bond with nature.

Another advantage is that people can know about the circumstances there such as financial conditions and the social isssues. The drawback would be, there is a possibility of the spread of fake news about different nations. For instance, if there is a war between two countries, the people of that country make fake excuses about each other and spread them on social media which is then accessed by the whole world. As a result, people made their perception based on that news and spread negativity.

In conclusion, the effortless international travel and the current mass media has made it possible for the public to know how other people live in other countries. Although it has certain drawabcks such as fake news but I think the advantages like cultural understanding outhweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and you give relevant points about cultural participation, awareness of social conditions, and misinformation. However, the response addresses the question only partially because the advantages are not fully explained or compared with the disadvantage. The Kasol example illustrates tourism, but the link between travel and learning how people live is not made explicit; the point about social conditions is also brief. The conclusion repeats your view without weighing the arguments in detail. The response is 249 words, so it is one word below the required minimum; the nine words copied from the prompt are not counted. Develop each main idea with a clearer explanation and a specific example showing how it affects people’s understanding of other countries.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Sequencing is generally understandable, and phrases such as “The first benefit,” “Another advantage,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes abrupt: the discussion moves from social-media announcements to the Kasol festival without clearly explaining how this improves knowledge of another culture. The second body paragraph also combines an advantage and a drawback, which makes its focus less clear. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “different” and “As a result.” Give each paragraph one clear purpose, and use more precise references to connect examples to the main claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “cultural festivals,” “financial conditions,” “social issues,” and “fake news,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “make a strong bond with nature.” However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation and spelling problems reduce precision. “Accessability” and “drawabcks” are misspelled, while “get piece of mind” is not the natural expression for the intended meaning. “Make their perception” is also awkward in this context. Aim for accurate, natural combinations and avoid repeating broad terms such as “different countries.” More precise vocabulary would help distinguish cultural exchange, public awareness and misinformation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “announcements which gets attention” and a conditional example beginning “if there is a war.” These attempts show some range, and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, errors in agreement, articles, verb forms and sentence construction occur regularly. For example, “announcements which gets” should use a plural verb, and “people made their perception” shifts tense and has an unclear grammatical pattern. The opening phrase “In Indian city” also lacks an article, and the sentence beginning “The drawback would be” is awkwardly joined to the following clause. Review subject–verb agreement and article use, and check that each sentence has a clear, complete structure.

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

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