Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
It is very common for people to change both their habits and their opinions as they get older.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
It is often argued that, it is common for individuals to develop their habits and their perspectives as they turn older. I strongly agree with this statement and reasons will be discussed in the upcoming paragraphs with relevant examples.
One of the main reasons is that, with the experiences in life an individual develop good habits and behaviour. These changes helps them to accomplish their desired goals. For instance, developing a habit of waking up early in the morning, helps an individual to built a discipline and improve consistency in their routine. As a result, the implication of these changes foster their personal growth.
Another main reason is that, as people getting older, they gain more life experiences which change their way of thinking. For example, teenagers oftenly change their opinions regarding a career path after encounter with the different situations in their life. Consequently, observations and experiences in life
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
Your position is clear: you strongly agree that people change their habits and opinions as they age, and you give relevant reasons about life experience and changing career views. However, the response addresses the task only partially because both points are briefly stated rather than fully explained, and the second body paragraph ends mid-sentence (“Consequently, observations and experiences in life”), leaving its reasoning incomplete. The examples are relevant, but the early-rising example mainly illustrates habit formation and needs a clearer link to how age prompts change. The response is also 100 words below the required minimum, which limits the development of your argument. Extend each reason with explanation and a specific example, and finish with a conclusion that restates your position.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction is followed by two paragraphs, each presenting a reason and an example. Linking expressions such as “For instance,” “As a result,” and “Consequently” help show relationships between ideas. However, progression is limited because the second paragraph stops before completing its point, and there is no concluding paragraph to bring the argument together. Some transitions also feel formulaic, with both body paragraphs beginning “One of the main reasons” or “Another main reason.” Develop a complete sequence in each paragraph—claim, explanation, example, and link to your position—and use a brief conclusion. This would make the overall progression clearer and cohesion less dependent on repeated signposting.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “perspectives,” “experiences,” “accomplish,” “consistency,” and “personal growth.” These choices make the main ideas understandable, and you attempt some more formal phrasing. At times, however, word choice or collocation is inaccurate or awkward: “turn older,” “built a discipline,” and “the implication of these changes foster” do not sound natural in context. “Oftenly” is also not standard English. Aim for precise, natural combinations rather than more elaborate wording; for example, use “as they grow older,” “develop self-discipline,” and “the effects of these changes support.” This would improve fluency and precision while preserving your relevant vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning “as” and “which,” and most of the intended meaning can be followed. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement and verb forms: “an individual develop” should be “an individual develops,” and “These changes helps” should be “These changes help.” The construction “as people getting older” also needs a finite verb, such as “as people get older.” In addition, commas are incorrectly placed after introductory clauses in “It is often argued that, …” and “One of the main reasons is that, …”. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and clause structure, then proofread punctuation. More accurate control of these forms would strengthen the range you are already attempting.
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