Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-09

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say History is one of the most important school subjects. Other people think that in today’s world subjects like Science and technology are more important than History.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant example form your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Every subject that is taught in school has its own significance. History keeps you aware about the past but science and technology is the future in the current era. Currently, the technology is advancing very fast but that does not mean that we should leave history behind.

In my opinion, science and technology is more important as now a days everything is getting online and the manual tasks has been automated a lot and to keep up with all the advancement in the technology everyone should be well aware about technology. Even the people who are more then 50 plus of age are also learning these tools as these have become a part of our daily life so it is important for the youth and the upcoming generation to get as much knowledge of science and technology. Medical has advanced so much that now the scientist have found out cure of many diseases that was once believed to be not curable. AI is also speedily taking over the technology fields.

History on the other side is also crucial because we should not leave our roots behind. Science and technology has also it own history so i believe both goes hand in hand. To learn anything you have to understand it's history. Either it is science or technology, a person should have knowledge of their origin and that is what history tells us. All the countries that are good in science and technology are getting developed rapidly.

In conclusion, i believe that knowing about the past is as important as future but you can survive if you are not very much aware about history but to be able to stand out in the present science and technology is the only way.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed both sides of the argument and provided a clear personal opinion. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that science and technology are important for the future, the explanation remains quite general. You could improve by providing more specific examples, such as how digital literacy impacts job prospects or how historical knowledge prevents the repetition of past societal mistakes. The conclusion is clear, but the overall depth of the argument is more characteristic of a Band 6, as some points are asserted rather than fully explored or supported with detailed evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In my opinion', 'On the other side', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes a bit mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, the transition between the importance of technology and the importance of history could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be strengthened by using a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'significance', 'automated', 'advancement', and 'crucial'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'Medical has advanced' (should be 'Medicine') and 'people who are more then 50 plus of age' (which is redundant). You also rely on some basic phrasing. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that collocations are natural. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('the manual tasks has been', 'both goes hand in hand') and punctuation errors (missing commas, incorrect use of 'it's' instead of 'its'). There are also minor errors with articles and prepositions. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and possessive forms would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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