Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

It is increasingly argued that musical art forms serves as an effective tool to unite people of varying backgrounds and age groups. While I acknowledge that music is an effective way of bringing people of different culture and ages together, I do not believe that this view can be applied universally. In my view, music is an universal form of communication.

To begin with, there are several compelling reasons why music helps to bring people of different ages together can be considered valid. First and foremost, music is a universal language. In other words, music is simplest and most efficient way of communication. This is particularly significant because, we don't want to understand word. A pertinent example of this can be seen in national songs of different countries, where different country have different musical style. Consequently, people from different country or culture listen the same song. As a result, culture barrier become weaker. Furthermore, another noteworthy consideration is that parents introduce traditional songs to younger generation, while younger people introduce modern songs to parents or grandparents. This can largely be attributed to fact that all ages enjoy music together. As a result, generation gap between young and old people decreases. Which have far-reaching implication for society.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned argument has certain limitations that warrant careful consideration. The most compelling counterargument is that music can sometimes create separation rather than connection. For instance, musical taste varies from people to people. Moreover, not everyone like music. Some people like calm environment.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that music can bring people from different cultures and generations together. It can overcome cultural differences and create shared experiences. Although people may have different musical preferences, music remains an effective way to connect people.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether music brings people of different cultures and ages together. In the introduction, the student states, 'While I acknowledge that music is an effective way of bringing people of different culture and ages together, I do not believe that this view can be applied universally,' which establishes a clear position. However, in the conclusion, the writer contradicts this by stating, 'I strongly agree that music can bring people from different cultures and generations together,' which causes confusion about the final stance. Ideas are presented and supported with examples, such as national songs and generational sharing of music, but the counter-argument is somewhat brief and superficial. Overall, the task is addressed, but the inconsistency in the writer's position places this at a Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay is divided into logical paragraphs with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, showing a coherent overall arrangement. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'First and foremost,' and 'Nevertheless' are used to structure the text, although some referencing is occasionally faulty or mechanical. For instance, the sentence fragment 'Which have far-reaching implication for society' lacks a clear subject link to the preceding clause. Paragraphing is generally used sufficiently and appropriately, but the logical progression between sentences is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, resulting in a Band 6 performance.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases like 'far-reaching implication' and 'compelling counterargument.' However, there are notable word-choice errors, pluralisation issues, and missing articles, such as 'different culture' instead of 'cultures,' 'music is universal form' instead of 'an universal,' and 'vary from people to people' instead of 'vary from person to person.' These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6, as the vocabulary lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. However, there is a high frequency of grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('musical art forms serves'), missing articles ('fact that all ages'), and fragmented sentences ('Which have far-reaching implication for society'). Punctuation and word-form errors are also present, such as 'culture barrier become weaker' and 'not everyone like music.' While meaning is generally conveyed despite these errors, the prevalence of inaccurate complex structures places this performance firmly at Band 5.

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

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