Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-22

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In spite of the advances made in agriculture, many people around the world still go hungry.

Why is this the case?

What can be done about this problem?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Despite remarkable progress in agricultural productivity in the last 30 years, hunger still persists as a paradox to the modern world. There are a lot of issues by which this happens. I shall discuss the causes, and then I offer some possible solutions.

On the one hand, there are a lot of causes that remain hunger as an issue from centuries. One of the biggest causes is unequal access to food resources. Developing countries produce surplus crops, but developing country farmers stay behind in productivity due to lack of infrastructure as well as the unawreness of modern techniques, which are essential to increase their crop production rate. In addition, economic inequalities create a gap between upper and lower classes to buy crops. Although crops are present, due to insufficient funds, they remain unapproachable for the lower class. Finally, political instability creates an environment where only a few can access food and others face starvation. For example, in 1970, starvation in Bangladesh happened due to instability from the last 10 years.

Although there are a lot of causes due to which individuals face hunger, they are not without solutions. One solution could be to educate farmers about modern methods in agriculture, as well as for the government to provide infrastructure in agriculture. Furthermore, the government should make policies by which food is accessible to every class by fixing the rate of food products. Also, political stability should be maintained in the country to escape the nation from hunger in the form of starvation.

In conclusion, even though a lot of problems have created hunger in this innovative world, by proper planning, fixing prices, and maintaining political stability, we can save ourselves from this crisis.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the causes of global hunger and potential solutions. The ideas are relevant, such as unequal access to resources, infrastructure deficits, and political instability. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the example regarding Bangladesh in 1970 is brief and lacks sufficient detail to fully support the argument. While the position is clear throughout, the explanation of the solutions could be more nuanced. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your points with more specific evidence or logical reasoning, ensuring that the connection between the cause and the proposed solution is more robustly articulated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for causes and solutions, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly repetitive. For example, the phrase 'there are a lot of' is used multiple times, which impacts the flow. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'they are not without solutions', where 'they' refers back to 'causes' rather than the problem of hunger itself. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'agricultural productivity', 'paradox', and 'political instability'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'remain hunger as an issue' (should be 'keep hunger as an issue' or 'hunger remains an issue') and 'unawreness of modern techniques' (should be 'lack of awareness'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more academic synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'there are a lot of issues by which this happens' (awkward phrasing), 'developing country farmers stay behind' (should be 'lag behind'), and 'escape the nation from hunger' (should be 'protect the nation from hunger'). Punctuation is generally correct, but the control over complex sentence structures is inconsistent. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences and refining your grasp of prepositions and verb patterns will help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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