Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-01

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 kinds of mass media has definitely made it convenient for people to know about different countries, their culture and their way of living. However, every advantages comes with some disadvantages. Though, the ease of international travel and the availability of mass media has made gathering information about different countries and making travelling plans more convenient and informed, the mass media can often provide misleading information to the travellers or travels enthusiasts which can put them in an uncomfortable or inconvenient situation.

The most useful fact of mass media is that we can know about a country, its heritage, people and culture beforehand, which eventually helps us to list down the places we would like to visit and also, helps us to take our preparations accordingly.

Moreover, due to the information we can gather through mass media, we can make more infromed and precise travelling plans which also helps us with our budget, timeframe and required essentials that we might need on our journey.

However, due to some misleading information spread through mass media, we might end up in situations which probably won't favour us. We might also sometimes face issue due to incomplete information spread through mass media which might impact our overall travel plan.

Therefore, we can conclude that though mass media has made various information easier to found and has made knowing about a certain place convenient, it is really important for us to make sure that the information we are relying on is accurate and must be double-checked or verified through a trusted source instead of believing it blindly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the topic by discussing how media can help people learn about destinations and plan trips, while also noting the risk of misleading or incomplete information. Your final recommendation to verify information gives the response a discernible position. However, the task asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and this comparison is not made clearly: the essay mainly lists benefits and one general drawback, then advises readers to check sources. The benefits are also repeated rather than supported with specific examples or evidence. To strengthen the response, state explicitly which side outweighs the other and explain why, using a concrete example to develop each main point.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for benefits and drawbacks, and a concluding recommendation. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “However,” and “Therefore” help signal the direction of the discussion. Nevertheless, progression is limited because the two benefit paragraphs make closely related points about learning in advance and planning, without developing a broader argument about the question of whether advantages outweigh disadvantages. Some transitions feel mechanical, and the conclusion shifts to checking sources rather than directly comparing the two sides. Organise the body around a clear comparison, use each paragraph to advance a distinct reason, and connect the conclusion explicitly to your stated position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “heritage,” “timeframe,” “misleading information,” and “verified through a trusted source,” which makes the subject clear. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “mass media,” “information,” and “convenient,” and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “list down the places” and “information easier to found.” There are also spelling errors, including “infromed,” and the phrase “travellers or travels enthusiasts” is not well formed. Aim for more precise alternatives and vary repeated terms—for example, refer to “online sources,” “travel content,” or “destination research” where appropriate. Check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a concession structure beginning “Though” and a relative clause in “the places we would like to visit.” Meaning is generally understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, plurals, and sentence construction recur. For example, “every advantages comes” should be “every advantage comes,” while “the ease … and the spread … has” needs a plural verb (“have”). The opening “Though” clause is also awkwardly attached to the following sentence, and “helps us to take our preparations” has an unclear grammatical pattern. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and building complete, balanced clauses; this will make your complex sentences more controlled and easier to follow.

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