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)

There has been a considerable debate regarding how media and international travel has made it more possible than ever to know how people live in other countries.While others argue that it is just a waste of money and it should be used in other ways.This eassy will argue how advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

One of the main advantages is that we get to know people from various cultural backgrounds and we also get to know about their culture and their heritage.The mass media covers and presents how people live all over the world showcasing their interests and their normal day routine.The ease of international travel has also played an important role in it as mostly people can travel through out multiple countries visa free that helps in approaching any country without problem of complex process and confidential documents.

On the other hand,some people argue that the process of travelling to other countries internationally can be costly and can require a huge sum of funds.According to them this amount should be invested inside the country that can make the economy of the country better Meanwhile,if you travel to other countries they will make profit.They think that this amount should be invested inside country and utilised carefully so the country profits from it.

In conclusion,The advantages are more convincing then the disadvantages and outweigh them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You state a clear position in the introduction and conclusion: “advantages outweigh the disadvantages,” and you identify relevant points about cultural awareness and the cost of travel. However, the response addresses the question only minimally because the advantages are not weighed against the disadvantages in a developed way. The cultural-awareness point is explained briefly, while the opposing view repeats that money spent abroad could benefit the home economy without showing why this outweighs or is outweighed by the benefits. The discussion also focuses mainly on travel costs rather than the effects of mass media and international travel together. The response is below the required 250 words, which limits the space available to explain and support your ideas. Develop each side with specific examples and explain why your chosen position is stronger.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph presenting an advantage, a paragraph presenting a disadvantage, and a conclusion. The contrast marker “On the other hand” helps signal the shift between viewpoints, and the main position is repeated at the end. However, progression within paragraphs is limited, and some connections are unclear or mechanical. For example, the cost argument repeats that money should be invested inside the country without adding a distinct supporting point. The long sentence beginning “The ease of international travel…” also combines several ideas without clear links. Improve cohesion by giving each paragraph a clear central claim, then explaining it with a reason and example; use referencing and linking phrases to show how each point supports your overall judgement.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “cultural backgrounds,” “heritage,” “mass media,” and “economy,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “considerable debate” and “outweigh the disadvantages.” However, the range is limited, and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, including “normal day routine,” “approaching any country,” and “invested inside the country.” Spelling errors such as “eassy” and “through out” also reduce accuracy. Repetition of “country,” “amount,” and “people” makes the argument less precise. Build a wider set of collocations for cultural exchange, media representation, and economic effects, and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause beginning “While others argue…” and a relative clause in “that helps in approaching any country.” However, control is uneven: the opening sentence has a subject–verb agreement error (“media and international travel has”), and the next sentence is a fragment beginning “While.” Other problems include missing spaces after full stops, inconsistent capitalisation after sentence boundaries, and a run-on in the paragraph beginning “Meanwhile, if you travel…”. Some sentence structures make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Practise forming complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and separate independent clauses with appropriate punctuation. More accurate control of these patterns would make your argument easier to read.

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.