Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-07

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)

International travel and the development of various kind of mass media helps people understand the way fo living in other nations .The advantages of these facilities outweigh the disadvantage .

The main reason that advantages overweigh the disadvantages is that individuals who needs to travel to another Country can be prepared before about the weather , expenses , the system and rules of the country .so that they can easily maintain living there .For example with the help of mass media one can check the relevant information about the life in other country before travelling there . Furthermore, mass media can help to gain knowledge about different cultures, traditional and lives of the country without even travelling . This can increase understanding and reduce misperceptions about the country.

However, false information from social media and mass media can also create false narrative in mind and lead to misunderstanding.For instance wrong information about country's economic conditions , environmental condition can lead to unrealistic expectations and poor decision making.

overall, The benefits are greater than limitstions of international travel and mass media to know about the lives of other country as it helps to enhance knowledge about countires culture, economic development, environmental conditions . .

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear overall view that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and you address both sides by discussing preparation, cultural understanding, and misleading media content. These are relevant points, but they are only briefly explained: for example, you mention that media can help people learn about cultures without travelling, but do not illustrate how this understanding benefits people or communities. The disadvantage is also limited to false information, with little development of its consequences. The response is 47 words below the required minimum, which restricts the space available to develop and support your ideas. To strengthen the response, explain each main point further and add a specific example or evidence before reaching your conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting advantages, a paragraph on a disadvantage, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “However,” and “For example” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression within the body paragraphs is limited, and several points are presented in quick succession rather than being clearly explained and connected. The opening advantage paragraph, for instance, moves from travel preparation to cultural knowledge without showing how the ideas relate. Some transitions and punctuation also make the flow less smooth, such as beginning “so that” as a separate sentence fragment. Develop one central point at a time, use clear topic sentences, and connect examples explicitly to the claim they support.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “misperceptions,” “unrealistic expectations,” and “decision making,” and the reader can generally understand your intended meaning. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the message less clear. Examples include “various kind of mass media,” “the way fo living,” and “the lives of other country.” There are also spelling errors such as “overweigh,” “limitstions,” and “countires.” Aim for more accurate collocations and consistent forms, such as “different types of mass media,” “ways of life,” and “other countries’ lives.” Proofreading for spelling and repeated phrases would also improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional-style example about travel preparation and a sentence explaining that media can reduce misunderstandings. However, errors in agreement, articles, sentence boundaries, and punctuation are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward or difficult to follow. For example, “individuals who needs to travel” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “so that they can easily maintain living there” is not correctly attached to the preceding sentence. The opening also lacks a clear, accurate sentence structure. Practise checking subject–verb agreement, sentence boundaries, and the use of articles, and build complex sentences around one clear main clause. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to read.

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