Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-17

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)

In recent years, global tourism increasingly accessible , and mass media channels like internet and television broadcast culture worldwide . As a result , people can easily understand lifestyle patterns in other nations . In my opinion , the merits of this development outweigh the demerits .

On the one hand , a notable drawback of this trend is the risk of cultural erosion and spread of unrealistic stereotypes . When individuals consume media from western nations , youngster adopt their fashions , language , and traditions . For instance , western fashions are more popular in present era , most of young people adapt their fashions in their daily life . As a result , they can far from their own tradition and get bad influence from western media .

On the other hand , the benefits of global travel and mass media connectivity are far more impactful . Firstly , if people travel foreign countries and know about their cultures , so they can respect them . People can know about other cultures through travelling and documentaries . Secondly , it creates employment for local people through global travel . When tourits visit local area while they spend on food , hotels , and guidance . It helps to create large number of employment , which helps to country economy .

In conclusion , while global connectivity through travel and mass media can occasionally threaten local traditions or spread romanticized views of foriegn life . However , it helps to create employment on local basis and broaden knowledge about other cultures . Therefore , advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of international travel and mass media in cultural exchange, and a clear position is stated in the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion. Ideas are presented and supported, such as mentioning cultural erosion and economic benefits through tourism. However, some arguments lack full development and depth. For instance, the discussion on young people adopting western fashions could be extended with more specific examples or consequences. Similarly, the point regarding employment creation is slightly brief, relying on general statements like "helps to create large number of employment." Despite these minor limitations, the main aspects of the task are adequately covered, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a clear overall progression with a recognizable introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, with 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' signaling shifts in perspective. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. There are noticeable issues with punctuation spacing, such as spaces placed before commas and periods throughout the text (e.g., "culture worldwide ."). Furthermore, referencing and transitional phrases occasionally falter, such as in the concluding sentence where a fragment occurs ("while global connectivity... life. However, it helps..."). Cohesive devices are functional but lack flexibility, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'cultural erosion', 'unrealistic stereotypes', and 'connectivity'. However, there are frequent word choice and collocation errors that detract from precision, such as writing "tourits visit local area while they spend" instead of 'tourists visit local areas and spend', and "foriegn life" with a spelling error. The phrase "get bad influence" is also informal and imprecise compared to 'be negatively influenced'. While communication is never impeded and the vocabulary is minimally sufficient for a clear argument, these persistent inaccuracies prevent the essay from reaching a higher band, making a 6.0 score appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional structures and relative clauses (e.g., "When individuals consume media from western nations, youngster adopt their fashions..."). However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ("youngster adopt", "tourits visit"), missing prepositions ("travel foreign countries"), and awkward phrasing ("they can far from their own tradition"). Punctuation errors are also prevalent, specifically incorrect spacing around punctuation marks. Because errors occur frequently across complex structures and cause some strain for the reader, the response aligns best with the Band 5.5 descriptors.

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