Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-27

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)

Despite rapidly progressing in the field of music and its psychological impacts, some people still argue that music is the best way of bringing people of various cultures and ages together. I partly agree with this stance that music can be a source of strengthening the bonds between different generations. However, it can raise multiple disputes among people who belong to different cultures.

The primary driving factor of this concept that influences the people is that music can provide a strong linking system to connect the people of diverse traditions and different ages. In addition, by listening to songs and anthems, people can connect themselves with nations, with a greater devotion. A clear illustration of this is provided by several state authorities, who have implemented the strategy of strengthening relationship among their citizens of different ages and cultures by using national music and songs. Therefore, some people believe that music can be a good option for bringing diverse people together.

Conversely, music can be a major concern for the emergence of various conflicts among people of different ages and cultures. These issues can arise due to preference of music, as it varies from young to older individiuals and among different traditions. For instance, developing countries are suffering from poor socio-economic conditions which are casued by disputes, which emerged due to different music tastes among generations and cultures.

Although I agree that music can strengthen relations among people of different ages and regions. However, I believe that it can be a source of limiting socio-economic growth of a country due to the disputes arising due to preferences of music consumption.

To conclude, according to some people, listening to the same sort of music can be beneficial as it can reduce the generation gaps. However, from my perspective, it can also introduce multiple conflicts in a society regarding music taste.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by presenting a partial agreement stance, discussing both how music can unite people across generations and cultures and how it might cause disputes. In the introduction, the writer states, 'I partly agree with this stance that music can be a source of strengthening the bonds between different generations. However, it can raise multiple disputes among people who belong to different cultures.' Ideas are generally relevant and supported, such as mentioning national anthems and generational differences in music taste. However, the reasoning in the third paragraph becomes somewhat illogical or exaggerated, claiming that developing countries suffer from poor socio-economic conditions specifically caused by musical disputes among generations. While the position is clear, the development of ideas could be more convincing and better focused, placing this performance solidly at Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, moving from an introduction to body paragraphs discussing supportive and opposing views, and concluding with a summary. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'In addition,' 'Conversely,' 'Therefore,' and 'To conclude.' However, some referencing is slightly faulty or mechanical, and the logical progression between sentences occasionally falters, particularly in the body paragraphs where transitions feel abrupt. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but the connection between sentences within paragraphs requires tighter cohesion. Overall, the organizational structure is easy to follow, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'psychological impacts,' 'socio-economic conditions,' and 'music consumption.' However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and spelling. For instance, the writer uses 'casued' instead of 'caused,' and refers to 'older individiuals' with a spelling error. Furthermore, phrasing like 'providing a strong linking system' or 'emergence of various conflicts' feels slightly unnatural. While vocabulary usage is sufficient to convey the intended message, the frequency of lexical errors and awkward collocations limits the score to a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'Although,' 'Despite,' and 'as it varies.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that detract from the overall control. Examples include 'Despite rapidly progressing in the field of music and its psychological impacts, some people still argue...' (where the participial modifier has a dangling subject issue) and 'Although I agree that music can strengthen relations... However, I believe that...' (which results in a double-conjunction/fragment error). Punctuation and grammatical structures show a mix of control and instability, placing this criterion at Band 5.5.

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