Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-02
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 true that as people grow older, the frequently change their habits and opinions. I agree with this statement because it is a natural part of life.
Firstly, habits change because people's responsibilities change over time. For instance, individual in their twenties eat junk food, stay up late and spending money carelessly. however, they get a job, get married and have children so they usually need to become more organized and health-conscious. Good example is smoking, young age people smoke regularly while say is it a trend but getting older they give up in this habits for giving preference to they heath and career.
Secondly, opinions often change because people gain more experience and knowledge as they age. Younger age people have less complicated situations to handle like real-life problems but in forties they explore world while traveling in different countries as well as get more knowledge to deal with difficult situations. For example, people which is strict for their traditional culture in their youth might become open-minded after communicate and connected with different persons.
However, some people live happily without change their daily habits and opinions.
In conclusion, opinions and habits often change while getting older, mainly because of responsibilities and greater knowledge, although some people remain same without changing it.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by agreeing that habits and opinions change with age, providing relevant reasons such as increased responsibilities and life experience. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. While the main points are relevant, the supporting examples, such as the mention of smoking or traveling, are somewhat underdeveloped and lack the necessary detail to fully explore the topic. The position is clear, but the brevity prevents a more comprehensive discussion, resulting in a penalty for failing to meet the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'however, they get a job' (which lacks proper capitalization and connection) and 'while say is it a trend'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the progression of ideas within paragraphs could be smoother. Overall, the structure is functional but lacks the sophistication required for a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choice, such as 'young age people' instead of 'young people' and 'give up in this habits' instead of 'give up these habits'. The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with collocations. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the presence of errors in word formation and usage prevent a higher score. More precise terminology would improve the quality of the arguments.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('the frequently change'), article usage, and incorrect verb forms ('spending money', 'after communicate'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization after periods. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be distracting and demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures. The student needs to focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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