Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-25

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)

Humanity has made significant advances when it comes to agriculture and cultivation so why is it that a large proportion of the world still suffer from starvation. This essay will talk about the possibe reasons for this and the measures that can be taken.

A major reason for this is that the most common form of agriculture that is practised is subsistence farming. It is the idea where farmers primarily cultivate and raise lifestock to support their own households rather than selling their products commercially. As a result there is not enough surplus to be sold in markets leading to a lack of supply which is why most people end up going hungry. Another reason for this case could be that food are not distributed properly due to existing inequalities. Many countries might cultivate vast amounts of agriculture but export their produce to foreign, more wealthy countries despite having millions suffering from poverty and lack of food in their home country. Therefore, leading to people sufferinng from lack of food.

Additionally, technological advancements will not always lead to successfull cultivations, since agriculture is highly dependent on natural factors such as the weather. A bad harvest would lead to a defecit of food which will explain why a lot of people might still go hungry.

The most effective solution against this problem would be distributing food more equally and making sure that foods that satisfy the basic human needs of people (like lentil, rice) are available in local markets at affordable prices. The government could set a maximum price on the price of agricultural products to protect the interest of the less fortunate to ensure that the food is accessible for them. Secondly, farmers should be taught ways to cultivate and preserve staple crops to improve defecits in the market and increase agriculture yields.

In conclusion, global hunger exists due to many reasons such as higher prices, lack of availability. However, we can tackle these problems by implementing regulations that protect the interest of consumers so that the crops that are being harvested are more available for them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions by identifying possible causes—subsistence farming, unequal distribution and poor harvests—and proposing measures such as affordable staple foods and farmer training. These points are relevant, but several are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that subsistence farming is the most common form of agriculture is broad and needs support or qualification, and the link between it and widespread hunger is not clearly established. The solutions also need more development: a maximum price is suggested, but its practical effect or possible limitations are not discussed. Your conclusion summarises the topic, though it does not clearly bring together how the proposed actions address the different causes. Develop fewer points with clearer explanation and examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on causes, a paragraph on solutions and a conclusion. Sequencing is generally easy to follow, and signposts such as “Another reason” and “Secondly” help readers recognise the progression. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “Therefore, leading to people suffering…” is a sentence fragment, while “As a result” introduces a consequence that needs a more explicit link to the preceding claim. The causes paragraph also combines several distinct ideas, including distribution and weather, so paragraphing could make the progression clearer. Use cohesive devices more selectively and ensure each sentence connects logically to the one before it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “subsistence farming,” “surplus,” “inequalities,” “staple crops” and “agriculture yields.” These choices help communicate the subject, but control is uneven, with some inaccurate or awkward expressions that reduce precision. For instance, “cultivate vast amounts of agriculture” is not a natural collocation, and “defecit of food” is both misspelled and less precise than a phrase such as “food shortage.” There are also spelling errors in “possibe,” “lifestock,” “successfull” and “sufferinng.” Aim to check spelling carefully and choose collocations that express the intended meaning precisely; this will make your otherwise relevant vocabulary more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a relative clause in “farmers … rather than selling their products commercially” and a conditional idea about a bad harvest. Meaning is generally understandable, but some errors occur in sentence structure, agreement and sentence boundaries. The opening question is joined to the preceding statement without appropriate punctuation, and “food are not distributed properly” has a subject–verb agreement error. “Therefore, leading to people…” is a fragment, while “which is why most people end up going hungry” creates an unclear, overextended sentence. Practise separating long sentences and checking agreement and clause completeness. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve clarity.

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