Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-21

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays, people have many choices in different areas of life, such as education, jobs, food, and shopping. I largely agree with this statement because having too many choices can create confusion and make decision-making difficult. In this essay, I will discuss both points of view and then give my own opinion.

On the one hand, having too many choices makes our lives difficult. People have numerous choices, make them hard to choose one of them. More choices create curiosity about expensive and beautiful things. For example, when buying a mobile phone, customers have to compare many brands, prices, and features. As a result, they require much discussion, and they may be confused about it. Moreover, there will also be difficulties for students to select a particular college or university.

On the other hand, having a variety of choices also has some benefits. To begin with, people will buy products according to their needs and finances. For instance, it helps students choose a private or government college depending on their family's wages. Moreover, it also provides different job options based on their qualification and offers significantly better facilities. Therefore, having several options can provide greater freedom and better opportunities.

In conclusion, in recent years, I agree that having too many choices will be beneficial for us, although it has some problems such as time waste and confusion. However, I believe that having different options is also beneficial because it allows people to make decisions according to their needs. The key is to choose carefully rather than become overwhelmed by the available options.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear overall view that choices can be both difficult and beneficial, and you support this with relevant examples about phones, education and jobs. However, the position is not fully consistent: the introduction says you “largely agree” that there are too many choices, while the conclusion says having too many choices “will be beneficial.” This makes your answer to the extent question less clear. Some points are also asserted rather than explained—for example, “More choices create curiosity about expensive and beautiful things” does not clearly show how choice becomes a problem. State your degree of agreement consistently, then develop each main reason with a clearer explanation of its effect and a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the broad organisation. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the phone example moves from comparing products to “much discussion” without explaining who is discussing what or how this demonstrates difficulty. Some links are mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “Moreover” and “For example,” and the conclusion repeats the benefits already stated rather than resolving the conflicting position. Use clearer links between each claim and its explanation, and make the final paragraph directly reinforce the same viewpoint established in the introduction.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to discuss choice, including “decision-making,” “numerous choices,” “finances,” “qualification,” and “opportunities.” This gives the essay a relevant vocabulary base, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “create curiosity about expensive and beautiful things,” “they require much discussion,” and “family’s wages.” These choices make some ideas harder to interpret and reduce precision. Aim for more natural collocations and use vocabulary that expresses the intended relationship clearly—for example, explain that a wide range can make comparison time-consuming, or refer to a family’s income. Vary repeated general terms such as “choices” and “beneficial” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a reason clause with “because,” a concession with “although,” and examples introduced by “when” and “depending on.” Most sentences communicate the general point, but errors in sentence construction and agreement are noticeable. For example, “People have numerous choices, make them hard to choose one of them” joins clauses incorrectly and has an unclear pronoun reference; “there will also be difficulties for students to select” is awkwardly structured. The conclusion also shifts between “I agree” and “having too many choices will be beneficial,” which affects grammatical and logical clarity. Practise building complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, and check pronoun references and tense consistency.

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