Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-20

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)

Advancements in technology still lacks behind when it comes to feeding the hungry. Agriculture being a major source of food requires more of an effort when it comes to satiate the hunger.

The crucial factors that affects feeding people could be the improper distribution of food over the world. For example, some countries have significant produce of food, but it doesn't reach the poor regions or doesn't have access to it. Additionally, factor like poverty, war and corruption impacts a region in terms of food. For example, people in a war zone won't get a proper supply of food and access, eventually leading to starvation.

Furthermore, climate changes, soil degradation, droughts and floods also affects the quality and quantity of agricultural produce in several regions. The access and distribution requires a proper route so as to improve the distribution.

The solution to this problem can be by providing a proper supply of the food. The government should improve the food distribution, storage, roads and irrigation in the developing regions. There should be a stock in advance in the storage areas for the vulnerable times when it is needed. Roads and proper transportation facility should be provided when food is distributed to rural or secluded areas.

Nevertheless, the scarcity food in the vulnerable times, a proper emergency food aid could be utilized when in need. Other alternative, could be to provide education to farmers, supporting small farmers, providing proper land and resources for irrigation.

In conclusion, the scarcity of food still remains in parts of world and can be reduced when proper measures are taken by government and international organizations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: why people still go hungry despite agricultural advances, and what solutions can be implemented. The student identifies key causes such as improper distribution, poverty, conflict, and climate change, and proposes solutions involving infrastructure improvement, emergency food aid, and agricultural education. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the discussion on food distribution is mentioned multiple times without expanding into deeper economic or systemic analysis. The position is clear throughout, but the arguments remain rather general and lack fully extended supporting examples. This performance aligns best with the Band 6 descriptors, as all parts of the task are addressed, but some ideas remain under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into introduction, body paragraphs addressing causes and solutions, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, cohesion is at times faulty and mechanical. For example, transitional phrases like 'Additionally, factor like' and 'Nevertheless, the scarcity food in the vulnerable times' show awkward linking and grammatical errors in cohesive markers. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun use in 'doesn't have access to it'. While the logical progression is generally understandable, the mechanical use of cohesive devices and occasional lapses in referencing prevent the text from reaching a higher band. This corresponds to a Band 6 level.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'agricultural produce', 'soil degradation', 'vulnerable times', and 'international organizations'. There are, however, noticeable word choice and collocation errors throughout the text. Examples include 'Advancements in technology still lacks behind', 'satiate the hunger' (where 'alleviate' or 'combat' would be more natural), 'significant produce of food', and 'scarcity food'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but these vocabulary inaccuracies and awkward collocations cause some mild strain for the reader. The lexical range is sufficient to communicate the main points but lacks the precision and flexibility required for Band 7, fitting comfortably within the Band 6 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional and relative clauses ('people in a war zone won't get...'). However, there is a high frequency of grammatical errors, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and prepositions. Examples include 'Advancements... still lacks behind' (plural subject with singular verb), 'factor like poverty' (singular noun without determiner or pluralisation), and 'access and distribution requires' (compound subject treated as singular). Punctuation and article usage also show persistent flaws. Because these errors occur frequently throughout the text—though they do not entirely impede overall communication—the grammar profile reflects a Band 5 performance.

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

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