Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-23

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)

In many countries, in spite of advances made in agriculture, many people around the world still go hungry. There are several reasons for this situation such as the high price of food and the unequal distribution of food to certain places. However, effective measures such as the involvement of governments to maintain a price cap and to make food available to remote areas help to overcome this issue.

One of the main reasons for people still remain hungry despite of advances in agriculture is the high price of food set by sellers. This makes it difficult for low-income people to access the food. As a result, the high prices prevent poor people to cosume meals on a regular basis. Another factor is the lack of distribution made to areas like deserts. People of these areas may undergo starvation due to the lack of food available to them. This is because people of these areas may not be able to grow vegetables and make food due to the unsuitable weather and soil conditions.

This issue can be addressed by the involvement of the government. Governments should put a price cap on various foods so that they are easily accessible to poor people. This prevents individuals from remaining hungry despite of advances in agriculture. Additionally, authorities should improve the food distribution systems to make it available to the consumers in remote areas. This prevents people from going hungry despite the advancements.

In conclusion, the high price and the unequal distribution are the key factors for many people around the world still remain hungry despite advances made in agriculture. This issue can be solved by the involvement of the government for maintaining the price range and making food available to remote areas

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the causes of hunger despite agricultural advancements (high food prices and poor distribution) and offering solutions (government price caps and improved distribution systems). The position is clear throughout the essay. However, the ideas lack deep extension and tend to be repetitive in their phrasing and explanation, particularly in the conclusion and body paragraphs. For instance, the statement 'People of these areas may undergo starvation due to the lack of food available to them' repeats the premise rather than expanding on it with fully developed examples or deeper analysis. This places the response comfortably in Band 6, where all parts of the task are addressed, but some ideas remain somewhat under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, two distinct body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate causes and solutions. Cohesive devices such as 'One of the main reasons', 'As a result', and 'Additionally' are employed to guide the reader through the text, although referencing is occasionally repetitive. For example, the phrase 'despite of advances in agriculture' and variations of it are echoed multiple times across paragraphs, creating a slightly mechanical feel to the progression of ideas. While the logical organization is clear, the occasional awkwardness in transitional phrases and repetitive phrasing prevents it from reaching Band 7. Overall, the text flows well enough to ensure the message is easily understood.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'unequal distribution', 'low-income people', 'starvation', and 'price cap'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations that prevent a higher score. For example, the student writes 'cosume' (spelling error) and uses the incorrect preposition phrase 'despite of' repeatedly instead of 'despite' or 'in spite of'. Furthermore, the vocabulary lacks the sophistication and flexibility of higher bands, relying frequently on simpler terms and repetitive word choices like 'food', 'people', and 'areas'. While these limitations cause minor distractions, they do not impede overall communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'Governments should put a price cap on various foods so that they are easily accessible to poor people.' There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text. The most prominent error is the recurring misuse of gerunds and infinitives after certain verbs, seen in phrases like 'people still remain hungry' instead of 'people still remaining hungry' or 'people who still remain hungry', and 'prevent poor people to cosume' instead of 'prevent poor people from consuming'. Despite these persistent errors, the sentence structures remain generally understandable and do not heavily impede communication, matching the Band 6 descriptor.

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

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