Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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)

As people get older, it is very common for them to change both habits and their opinions. In my opinion, I truly agree with this believe. In this essay, I will discuss the possible reason and share some relevant example.

Nowadays, as people get older, it is very common

for them to change their interest or decisions in life because of their life experiences. As they grow older, they are more mature when it comes to decision making or changing their habits that related with their past experience and learned lessons. They tend to be more smarter when it comes to opinion and decisions because they know already the possible outcome, additionally the possible consiquences of each decision. Unlike with the younger generation, they are more impulsive with their opinions due to lack of experience from the past.

For instance, a teenager who is addicted to social media and love to post her sexy photos in their instagram account without thinking some possible consequences or bad effect on them. They don't think the possible reactions of the viewers when they are posting. Unlike those matured enough or people who is older, they know already the possible impact for not being careful for posting in the social media. Additionally, older person knows their limitations and knows how to avoid some habbits that is not good for them.

In conclusion, I totally agree that as people grow old, it is very common to change their habbit and opinions, due to having some experience in the past, learned lessons and they are smarter when it comes to decision. Unlike for younger years who is more compulsive to some decisions because of lack of experience.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction (“I truly agree”) and is maintained in the conclusion. You address both habits and opinions, linking change to life experience and greater awareness of consequences. The social-media example gives the discussion a relevant, concrete illustration. However, the explanation focuses much more on habits and decision-making than on how opinions themselves change; the example also mainly shows caution about posting rather than a changed opinion. The claim that older people are “smarter” is broad and would be stronger if qualified and supported with a specific example of someone revising a belief after new experience. Develop this less-covered aspect and explain the example’s connection to both parts of the question more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and its overall direction is easy to follow: experience is presented as the reason people change. The example follows the general point about maturity, while “For instance” and “In conclusion” help signal stages of the essay. However, progression within the body paragraphs is sometimes repetitive: the ideas of experience, maturity and knowing consequences recur without adding much new development. Some links are awkward or unclear, such as “Unlike with the younger generation” and “Unlike those matured enough,” which make the comparison harder to track. Organise each paragraph around one distinct point, and use clearer references and transitions to show how the example supports the claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “life experiences,” “decision making,” “impulsive” and “consequences.” There are also attempts to vary expression through phrases such as “possible impact” and “learned lessons.” However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate or repetitive, which makes parts of the response less natural. Examples include “believe” for “belief,” “more smarter,” “consiquences,” “habbits,” and “compulsive” where “impulsive” is intended. Phrases such as “bad effect on them” and “change their interest” are also imprecise. Build accuracy with common collocations and check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a reason clause (“because of their life experiences”) and a contrast with younger people. The main message remains understandable, but control is uneven, particularly in longer constructions. For example, “habits that related with their past experience” is missing a verb form and uses an awkward grammatical pattern; “a teenager … love to post” has subject–verb disagreement, and “people who is older” has the same agreement problem. Articles, plurals and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “older person knows” and the comma splice in “They don't think the possible reactions … when they are posting.” Practise accurate complex sentences and check agreement and clause boundaries; this will make your ideas easier to read.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.