Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-24

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 4.5)

Nowadays, Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. Although this development is not without its drawbacks, I am of the view that its advantages considerably outweigh its disadvantages.

To begin with, there are several compelling reasons why food becoming easier to prepare can be regarded as a beneficial development. First and foremost, it saves people's valuable time. This is largely because modern equipment and technology make food preparation faster and easier. Consequently, people can prepare food quickly, which can make a substantial contribution to individual well-being.

Furthermore, another noteworthy advantage is that it provides greater convenience. This can be attributed primarily to the fact that instant and ready-to-cook food is easily available. As a result, they enabling people to prepare meals more effectively.

Equally significant is the fact that modern food preparation methods improve people's daily lives. In particular, people can spend less time preparing food and more time on other activities. This, in turn, can lead to greater convenience, ultimately fostering a more comfortable lifestyle.

Nevertheless, it would be unwise to overlook the potential drawbacks associated with food becoming easier to prepare. The most significant concern is that instant food can be unhealthy. This is primarily attributable to the use of preservatives and unhealthy ingredients. If this issue remains unaddressed, it could potentially result in negative health consequences, particularly among regular consumers.

Moreover, eating ready-made food represents another considerable disadvantage. This is because people may prefer instant food instead of fresh homemade food. Consequently, this may place considerable strain on people's health.

Finally, the quality of ready-made food should also be taken into consideration. Although this issue may not affect all consumers to the same extent, poor-quality ingredients can contribute to negative consequences, potentially undermining people's overall health.

In conclusion, although food becoming easier to prepare may entail certain inherent drawbacks, its overall benefits are considerably more substantial. Provided that appropriate measures are taken to address its potential disadvantages, this development can generate significant and long-lasting benefits for individuals and society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.0

The student has completely failed to address the prompt regarding whether music brings people of different cultures and ages together. Instead, the entire body of the essay discusses food preparation, convenience, and instant meals. This is a severe off-topic response, as the content discusses an entirely different subject from the one specified in the task instructions. Although the essay follows a standard argumentative structure with an introduction, body paragraphs discussing advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion, the complete irrelevance of the topic to the prompt means that the task has not been answered. Consequently, this falls well below the minimum requirements for task response. Band score: 2.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

Despite being completely off-topic in terms of content, the text displays a clear organizational structure and logical progression. The student uses standard paragraphing, dividing the essay into an introduction, three paragraphs on advantages, three paragraphs on disadvantages, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', 'Nevertheless', and 'In conclusion' are employed to guide the reader through the text, although some referencing is awkward or repetitive (e.g., 'As a result, they enabling people'). The paragraphs are internally coherent, following a claim-and-explanation format, even though the content itself belongs to a different essay prompt entirely. Band score: 5.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for handling general topics, utilizing phrases such as 'compelling reasons', 'substantial contribution', and 'potential drawbacks'. However, there are notable vocabulary and collocation errors resulting from the mismatch in subject matter, as well as some awkward repetitions of words like 'convenience' and 'food'. Less common lexical items are attempted, but the range remains somewhat limited and repetitive. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the response. Band score: 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional forms and relative clauses ('If this issue remains unaddressed, it could potentially result...'). There are, however, grammatical errors that detract from accuracy, such as the fragment 'As a result, they enabling people to prepare meals more effectively', where verb forms are incorrectly linked. Punctuation is mostly acceptable, and sentences are generally readable despite the structural slips. Band score: 5.5.

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