Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-29

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays it's possible for people to buy many products or pay for treatments that help them to look younger.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In the modern era, it is very common for individuals to purchase many things or pay for procedures that provide benefits to look younger. My point of you on this point is partially good, but not for the long term. Such as protein powders, cosmetic creams, and fever-lessor treatments.

Firstly, companies are making a variety of products, and for marketing, they are doing advertising. People are attracted by that and try it on themself. For example, as they see on social media, protein powder is very beneficial for gym people to look fit and younger. However, there are many side effects of that. You have to continue with your routine. If you do not consume it, you will look the same as before. Also, that is very expensive. Moreover, cosmetic creams have the same function. For instance, we can see many actresses who use it on a daily basis, so their faces give a shiny and glam look. If they didn't use them, they would look like normal people.

After that, plastic surgery is another treatment that changes your face. You can get your dreamy structure, but the drawback is that it might affect your hormones. As with lesser treatments, you need to be ready for every session. Your all hair went all the way to the care of your skin. After some time, it comes back.

In conclusion, it is time-consuming, luxurious, and harmful to your body. For temporary is okay, but for the long term, it is not a good idea.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether products and treatments to look younger are a good or bad thing, presenting a clear position that they are only temporarily beneficial and ultimately harmful. Ideas are presented, such as protein powders, cosmetic creams, and plastic surgery, but they remain partially under-developed and lack extension. For instance, the mention of protein powders for gym people and actresses using cosmetic creams touches on relevant examples, but the reasoning is somewhat disjointed and relies on generalisations without deep elaboration. The position is maintained throughout the response, though the conclusion is slightly repetitive. According to the band descriptors, the response successfully addresses all parts of the task with relevant ideas, placing it at a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, the logical progression is occasionally hindered by abrupt transitions, such as the phrase 'After that, plastic surgery is another treatment' or the abrupt shift in topic sentences. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, with referencing that is not always clear (e.g., 'As with lesser treatments, you need to be ready for every session'). Cohesive devices are used, but they are basic and occasionally awkward. Overall, the structural organization aligns with the Band 5.0 to 6.0 descriptors, showing adequate logical flow with noticeable mechanical flaws in cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate vocabulary range to communicate ideas about anti-aging products and treatments, including words like 'procedure', 'advertising', 'hormones', and 'luxurious'. However, there are frequent inappropriate word choices and collocations, such as 'My point of you' instead of 'My point of view', 'fever-lessor treatments', and 'dreamy structure' instead of 'ideal facial structure'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical inaccuracies restrict precision and occasionally impede smooth reading. Because the vocabulary is minimally adequate for the task with noticeable errors in word formation and collocation, it fits the Band 5.0 criteria.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, such as conditional structures ('If you do not consume it, you will look the same as before'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Your all hair went all the way') and fragmented or unclear expressions ('For temporary is okay'). Punctuation and sentence structures sometimes cause difficulty for the reader. While the student attempts a range of structures, the high frequency of grammatical inaccuracies places the response firmly within the Band 5.0 descriptor category.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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