Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23
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 not very unusual for people these days to revert on their opinions as well as their habits as time passes. I partially agree with it, as there are other factors like lifestyle and environmental reasons that also need to be considered.
Understandably, opinions and habits ought to change because of the changing lifestyle. Not lately, but civilization is adapting to a resilient style of living, where people following a strict schedule are forced to change their daily functioning as they progress in their lives. For instance, due to highly demanding and competitive work, people are forced to spend longer hours working, which eventually breaks most of their routine tasks, like getting 8 hours of sleep, etc.
Secondly, the environment has a very important role as well when it comes to these changes. As people grow older, different seasons bring different challenges and suffering in old age. The only solution is to adapt different routines. For example, often in the winter season, we see issues like body aches, cramps, etc. in the body. The solution to it is to adopt a more active lifestyle to prevent these issues.
Finally, the changes in discussions and habits are not only common among elders but also among Gen Z.
In conclusion, I understand that people change their opinions and habits as they grow older, and these changes are driven by changing lifestyles and environments.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether people change habits and opinions as they age, presenting a partial agreement stance. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and the conclusion is brief. Furthermore, the response is 18 words short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which prevents full development of the arguments and impacts Task Achievement. Examples such as demanding work hours and winter body aches are relevant, but the overall depth aligns with a Band 5.0 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay demonstrates a clear overall structure with an introduction, body paragraphs supported by cohesive devices like 'Secondly' and 'For example', and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used, though some body paragraphs are quite brief. Referencing and logical sequencing are generally maintained, though the transition to mentioning Gen Z feels abrupt and under-developed. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, but overall arrangement allows the reader to follow the train of thought without severe hindrance, placing it at a Band 6.0 level.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'revert on their opinions', 'resilient style of living', and 'competitive work'. However, there are noticeable word-choice inaccuracies and unnatural collocations, such as 'revert on their opinions' instead of 'change their opinions' or 'revert to'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical limitations and slight unnaturalness across the text restrict the score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The text displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Not lately, but civilization is adapting to a resilient style of living, where people following a strict schedule are forced to change...'. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'changes in discussions' instead of 'opinions', but these errors rarely impede overall communication. Complex structures are attempted with varying degrees of success, supporting a Band 6.0 score for grammatical range and accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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