Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-10

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)

In this contemporary world everything is replaceable. It is widely believed that as individuals gets older their habits as well as opinions changes accordingly. I confidently agree with the given notation and reasons for my inclination are narrated further.

To begin with, there are several arguments in my opinion as to why, getting older makes people to change their perspectives and routines. The foremost reason is weakness in the human body. To elaborate it, as person crosses certain age their body starts getting weaker and it leads to less involvement in physical activity and eventually person starts to alter their habits. For example, recent newspaper article revealed that there has been sharp decline in the golf membership especially in the elderly people.

Furthermore, another significant factor could be thinking abilities. To expand it, while making decision or giving opinion, an young individual would think about long term results compared to old people, they might not take care of long term results as they have no more patient. A case in point is Canada, where majority of old people are not able to make proper decisions when they are asked something challenging

To conclude, I agree that with the increasing age, individuals personal choices and opinions are also changes due to changes in their physical health as well as cognitive behaviours.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by agreeing that habits and opinions change with age. However, the essay fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the position is clear, the arguments regarding physical health and cognitive abilities are somewhat under-developed and rely on generalizations. For instance, the example regarding golf membership is vague, and the claim about Canadian elderly people lacks specific evidence or logical depth. To improve, you must expand your points with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to ensure the response is sufficiently developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'To conclude' are used to signal the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and grammatical errors, which makes the flow feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the topic sentences and the supporting examples could be more seamless. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph develops a single, cohesive idea would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'contemporary', 'perspectives', and 'cognitive behaviours', but there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'given notation' instead of 'given statement' or 'no more patient' instead of 'less patience'. There are also minor errors in word form, such as 'individuals personal choices'. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('individuals gets older', 'opinions are also changes'), article usage, and awkward sentence construction ('makes people to change'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex structures are formed correctly, particularly regarding infinitive and gerund usage.

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