Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-12
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
It is argued by some individuals that bringing people of various traditions and generations together through music is a beneficial method. I partially agree with this statement because people always prefer to listen to their own mother-tongue songs, and this leads to conflict. Whereas it also helps people to get together in terms of language, culture, and age groups.
On one hand, conflicts are mostly created by listening to a particular culture's or language's songs. And sometimes, some messages are spread by singing a song that hurts others. Such as indians write lines using abusive language about their enemy, Pakistan, and its flag.
On the other hand, it also plays a fundamental role in bringing people together across ages, religions, and countries. For instance, Atif islam sings, but when people from our enemy hear his lyrics, they just love it and apprciate his voice specially when he sing in a concert.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You give a clear partial position in the introduction, saying that music can unite people but may also create conflict, and you address both sides with examples. However, the response only partially develops the task: the claim that people prefer songs in their mother tongue and this “leads to conflict” is not explained, and the example about insulting lyrics is brief. The Atif Islam example supports music’s unifying effect, but its relevance to different ages is not made clear. The response also contains 151 words, below the required 250, so there is not enough space to develop your reasons and examples. Explain how music can bridge cultural or age differences and make your position consistent throughout.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting a concern, and a paragraph explaining music’s unifying potential. The signposts “On one hand” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the contrast. However, progression within the paragraphs is limited, and some links are awkward or unclear. For example, “Whereas it also helps people…” is not a complete sentence connected to the preceding idea, while “Such as indians…” is an incomplete example sentence. The relationship between preferring mother-tongue songs and conflict also needs a clearer explanation. Develop each paragraph around one main point, then connect the explanation and example explicitly; a brief conclusion would also make the overall progression feel complete.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “various traditions,” “generations,” “fundamental role,” and “across ages, religions, and countries.” These choices show an attempt to express ideas beyond very basic language. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, such as “conflicts are mostly created by listening to” songs and “messages are spread by singing a song.” “Enemy” is also repeated without clarifying whether you mean a country or its people. Spelling errors such as “apprciate” and inconsistent capitalisation in “indians” affect accuracy. Build a more precise set of phrases for describing cultural exchange, shared enjoyment, and offensive lyrics, and check spelling carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the opening passive construction and the clause beginning “because people always prefer…”. Meaning is generally understandable, but some sentence structures and verb forms are inaccurate. “Whereas it also helps…” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence, and “Such as indians write lines…” is also a fragment. In “when he sing in a concert,” the verb does not agree with the subject, and the sentence shifts awkwardly between present and past forms. Punctuation around sentence openings such as “And sometimes” also needs attention. Practise joining dependent clauses to complete sentences and checking subject–verb agreement and tense consistency; this will make your ideas easier to follow.
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