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)

It is currently more possible than before to understand how other individuals live in other nations. This is greatly attributed to the ease of international travel and the variety of mass media globally. Although this development can lead to faster spread of communicable diseases and expose young adults to cyber bullying, I believe its benefits outweigh the drawbacks by far.

To begin with, allowing citizens to travel internationally without major restrictions can lead to spread of some diseases. For instance, the recent outbreak of ebola virus in Congo, has been fuelled by people travelling from the country to other nations without being screened at the airports. Proper measures needs to be put in place to restrict people with such symptoms from boarding an aeroplane. Furthermore, the spread of different types of mass media can expose young citizens to online bullying if not approached carefully. They can connect with individuals on chat rooms and this results in bad morals. There should be a regulation on the number of such channels in a country.

On a positive side, this development helps to create international trade relationships. This helps people to meet citizens of other nations freely. For example, in East Africa, there are no restrictions to travel between the countries. This has helped in improving export and import of goods and servives amongst the countries. As a result, there's creation of more jobs and the economy of a nation has an upward trend. Moreover, different mass media.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You present a clear view that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and you discuss both sides with relevant examples. The points about disease transmission and online bullying address possible disadvantages, while the East African trade example supports your positive case. However, the advantages are not developed as fully as the disadvantages, and the final point is unfinished: “Moreover, different mass media.” This leaves a major part of your argument unexplained. The response is also five words below the required minimum. To strengthen the response, complete the second advantage, explain how media helps people understand other cultures, and show more directly why these benefits outweigh the risks.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a paragraph on advantages. Transitions such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore,” and “On a positive side” help signal the direction of the argument. However, the progression is interrupted by the unfinished final sentence, and the advantages paragraph does not develop its ideas beyond trade and employment. Some links are also unclear: “This helps people to meet citizens of other nations freely” does not clearly explain how travel leads to trade relationships. Build each paragraph around a complete main idea, then connect its explanation and example explicitly. A concluding paragraph would also give the essay a clearer sense of completion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “communicable diseases,” “international trade relationships,” “export and import,” and “upward trend.” These choices make the main ideas understandable, and you attempt some less common expressions. There are, however, several imprecise or unnatural combinations, such as “bad morals” for the effects of online bullying and “there’s creation of more jobs.” “Servives” is also misspelled, and “mass media” is repeated without further specific vocabulary. Aim for more precise collocations and use terms such as “cultural exchange,” “employment opportunities,” or “media platforms” where appropriate. This would make your argument clearer and more flexible without requiring unnecessarily complex wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in the introduction (“Although this development can lead to…”) and conditional phrasing (“if not approached carefully”). Most sentences communicate their meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “Proper measures needs” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “can lead to spread” needs an article before “spread.” The comma after “Congo” is unnecessary, while “Moreover, different mass media” is an incomplete sentence. Check agreement and articles during proofreading, and ensure every sentence has a complete clause. Developing the unfinished point into a full sentence would also demonstrate more secure control of sentence structure.

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