Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-21
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)
People's beliefs and actions play a big role in running the world. It is widely believed that people's habits and opinions change as they grow older. I largely agree with the statement because life experience and responsibilities can change people’s behavior and their way of thinking.
Firstly, people's opinions often change because they gain more realistic experience faced in their lives. When people are younger, they may have strong opinions about education, relationships, careers, or without money, people having much practical endure. However , as they grow older , they experience different situations likewise financial burden, to beat the society roles , face medical emergency. For instance, younger people believe that earning a high salary it important part of a successful career,2 but gain more experience, they may realize that job experience and work life balance are also important.
Secondly, People’s habits can change because their responsibilities usually increase with age. younger people have more free time and may spend many hours watching television, using social media or going out with friends. In contrast, older people have jobs families and financial responsibilities, which encourage them to follow a more organized lifestyle. For example, younger lives in life , eats and spends and enjoy, but older give this lability for next generation.
In conclusion, I agree that it is very common for people to change their habits and thinking as they get older .life experience can influence their beliefs and actions, while greater responsibilities can lead them to develop different and more disciplined habits.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position that agrees with the prompt. The writer presents relevant ideas regarding how life experiences and increasing responsibilities alter both habits and opinions over time. For instance, the first body paragraph discusses how younger individuals value high salaries whereas older people prioritize work-life balance. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed and lack extension. For example, sentences such as 'or without money, people having much practical endure' are vague and difficult to follow, limiting the depth of the argument. Overall, the content is relevant, meets all task requirements, and establishes a clear progression of ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, with body paragraphs beginning with clear signposting devices such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly'. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the transitional phrase 'likewise financial burden, to beat the society roles , face medical emergency' is awkward and lacks smooth integration. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as in the final body paragraph where the phrase 'younger lives in life , eats and spends and enjoy, but older give this lability for next generation' features abrupt transitions and unclear pronoun or subject reference.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'financial burden' and 'work life balance'. However, there are frequent word choice, collocation, and word-form errors that hinder precision. Examples include 'without money, people having much practical endure', 'beat the society roles', and 'give this lability for next generation', where 'lability' appears to be a misuse or misspelling of responsibility or liability. Despite these noticeable lexical errors, the vocabulary is minimally adequate and meaning can generally be discerned by the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses. However, control of grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with missing verbs, incorrect prepositions, and faulty clause structures, such as 'When people are younger, they may have strong opinions about education, relationships, careers, or without money, people having much practical endure' and 'younger lives in life , eats and spends and enjoy'. Punctuation errors are also notable, including spaces before commas and periods. These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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