Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-19
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 has been universally acknowledged that advance in global travel and mass communication have made it increasingly easy for people to understand the lifestyles and cultures of those living in other countries. Although the main demerits are spread of stereotypes and over tourism, there are several merits of this trend too.
On the one hand, one of the major disadvantages of this trend is the spread of stereotypes, which is due to fact that media may present an unrealistic or negative image of certain countries. This can lead to prejudice, misunderstanding and cultural discrimination. The rearmost coherent drawback is over tourism which means that over tourism occurs when a popular destination receives more visitors than it can comfortably manage. It can happen due to cheap flights, social media and increase in international travel can make certain destinations extremely popular.
On the other hand, there are various evidences in its favour which are substantial. Out of many, the major one is the cultural understanding. To elaborate, international travel and mass media allow people to learn directly about customs, traditions, food, languages and lifestyle of other country. Another worth considering benefit is economic opportunities. This leads to international travel can boost tourism, trade and employment in both developed and developing countries.
To conclude, even though there are negative aspects that oppose the international travel, the main positive aspects are better culutr
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, but the development is insufficient. The essay is under the 250-word minimum, which significantly impacts the depth of the arguments. While the position is clear, the conclusion is incomplete, cutting off mid-sentence. The ideas regarding stereotypes and over-tourism are relevant but lack detailed supporting evidence or examples. To reach a higher band, you must fully develop each point with specific illustrations and ensure the essay meets the minimum word count requirement to allow for a complete, well-structured conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to organize ideas. However, the progression is hindered by the incomplete conclusion. Paragraphing is present, but the logical flow within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive, particularly in the second paragraph where 'over tourism' is mentioned multiple times in a short space. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels mechanical. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, fully developed topic sentence followed by supporting details.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'stereotypes', 'cultural discrimination', and 'economic opportunities'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'the rearmost coherent drawback' (which is unclear) and 'various evidences' (evidence is an uncountable noun). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication or flexibility to express complex ideas with nuance. Expanding your range to include more academic collocations would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'advance in global travel' (should be 'advances'), 'due to fact' (missing 'the'), and 'this leads to international travel can boost' (incorrect sentence structure). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the incomplete final sentence is a major issue. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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