Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

Nowadays, it become convenient to know about different cultures more than ever before, due to advancement in digital media and ease of foreign travel. I believe it has more beneficial effects for society than its drawbacks.

Following the revolution in digital technology and ability to travel abroad, while living in one country, people can know about living styles, norms, values, and traditions worldwide. It has several advantages. Firstly, many societies are better than others in terms of education and work ethics. When individuals travel to another country, they get chance to learn from others’ practices. After returning back, they can utilize that experience and improve their lifestyles. Secondly, it is also helpful in learning cultures of different countries. Every society has its own set of rituals and traditions, which are quite interesting for others. For instance, their way of greetings, food diversity, and range of languages.

Despite these benefits, it has a downside. Influencers and you tubers share daily routine on their social media accounts. People compare themselves with them and become conscious about their way of living, dressing, and physical health. In this way, stress increased and individuals become unsatisfied from their life. In addition, people start following others’ culture and lost their own. For example, in many eastern countries, young generation wear western clothes because they are inspired from west.

In my opinion, although it has some detrimental effects, it has more advantages. The drawbacks can be limited by educating youth about importance of their traditions and cultural values. it limit boundaries, has benefit for societies in long-terms.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of cultural exchange and the drawbacks of social comparison. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding 'education and work ethics' is a bit vague, and the conclusion is quite brief and lacks a strong summary of the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides more specific, illustrative examples rather than general statements. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis could be improved to better support the arguments presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Despite these benefits', and 'In addition' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and flow. For example, the final sentence 'it limit boundaries, has benefit for societies in long-terms' is disjointed and lacks a clear connection to the preceding argument. Improving the transition between sentences and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear concluding thought would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language like 'digital technology', 'cultural values', and 'detrimental effects'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'lost their own' instead of 'lose their own' and 'it limit boundaries' which is unclear. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to avoid repetition and enhance the sophistication of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the fluency of the text. Examples include 'it become convenient' (should be 'it has become'), 'get chance' (should be 'get a chance'), 'stress increased' (should be 'stress increases'), and 'inspired from west' (should be 'inspired by the West'). These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to focus on subject-verb agreement, article usage, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with greater accuracy.

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

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