Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-23
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 ease of international travel and the spread of various forms of mass media worldwide have made it easier than ever for people to learn how others live in other countries.
In my opinion, the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages in various spheres.
Technological development in international travel allows people to travel to other countries more easily. This leads to communicating with them and gaining knowledge about their culture and civilization. In addition, learning useful skills helps to solve many problems when the travelers come back to their home. The specific style of wearing, eating, and living may lead to discovering a lot of information they did not know before. For example, the meat and seafood must be cooked completely over a fire because it kills the microbes completely. The travelers will bring this method to their country because they cooked the meat over a weak fire, which causes many diseases.
Also, developing mass media has a positive effect . The different media allow people to discover other nations without travelling or spending an enormous amount of money. How different communities live and eat may positively affect their daily life. For instance, when women in hot weather wear along dress protect her from the sun and is more beneficial than going to the beach.
In conclusion, technological development is very necessary and important for the whole world.
Through mass media and international travel, it makes people friendlier and experiences happy and enjoyment when they discover how others live and eat.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both international travel and mass media. However, the development of ideas is limited. The example regarding cooking meat to kill microbes is somewhat tangential and does not clearly link back to the broader advantages of cultural exchange. Similarly, the example about women wearing long dresses in hot weather is underdeveloped and lacks a clear connection to the prompt's core theme of global awareness. While a position is stated, the arguments lack depth and the supporting evidence is not fully relevant or convincing. To improve, ensure that every example directly supports the main argument regarding the benefits of cross-cultural understanding.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition' and 'For instance', but they are occasionally used mechanically or in ways that do not fully connect the sentences logically. For example, the transition between the discussion of travel and the specific example of cooking meat is abrupt. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively synthesise the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring a more cohesive argument would raise the score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'travel', 'people', and 'live'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'civilization' in the context of personal cultural exchange, or 'specific style of wearing'. While the meaning is clear, the essay would benefit from more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'cultural immersion', 'globalisation', or 'cross-cultural perspectives'. The current range is sufficient to communicate the message but does not demonstrate a flexible or precise use of language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'the meat and seafood must be cooked completely over a fire because it kills the microbes completely' (subject-verb agreement/plurality) and 'wear along dress protect her' (incorrect article and verb form). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are issues with sentence construction that make some parts awkward to read. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately without losing clarity.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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