Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-13
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some say that the most important thing about being rich is that one has the opportunity to help others. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Some opine that helping others is the important part of being wealthy, I mostly agree with the statement that helping others is good for the society but doing so would ultimately be their own choice, whether they want to donate to the needy or create employment.
Helping others in the form of employment opportunities or donating to the poor is ultimately good for the community. People struggle daily with their career directions, career decisions, job security and salary, if a rich person at the top decided to hold an event where anyone of their industry can ask them about their problems it would be immensely beneficial as it can clear many of their doubts. Furthermore, the top 1% can also donate their money to buy water, food and housing for the poor whether through a personal donation to a non-profit organizations or collectively bringing the matter to the public through their connections. To exemplify there are multiple livestreams ongoing on social media that raise the money for charity from some notable figures like Jimmy Donaldson and Adin that brought everybody's attention to the Nepal flood disaster.
On the other side of the argument, the decisions to help would ultimately be their own choice. There are some cases where the person is self-made billionaire and had no one that helped them in their early journey and can think "Why should I give my hard earned money if they did not contribute to my success?".
To conclude, it is always better for the community as a whole if the upper class can help the lower class either through a selfless donation or clearing the doubts regarding their career. It is however, their own choice and could not be forced upon.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether the most important aspect of wealth is the opportunity to help others, taking a balanced view that while helping is positive, it remains an individual choice. The position is clear throughout the essay. Main ideas are presented, such as providing employment, mentoring, or charitable donations, and these are supported with relevant examples like social media fundraisers. However, some ideas tend towards generalisation, and the development could be extended further in places to fully reach the higher bands. Overall, all parts of the task are addressed adequately, and the ideas are relevant to the prompt, corresponding well to the descriptors for Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas from the introduction through body paragraphs to the conclusion. Paragraphing is utilised appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the argument. Cohesive devices are employed, such as "Furthermore" and "To conclude," although some referencing and transitions can occasionally feel a bit mechanical or abrupt, particularly the transition into the counter-argument ("On the other side of the argument"). Pronoun referencing is generally clear, but occasional minor slips in cohesion prevent the text from achieving a higher band. Overall, the organisation is clear and easy to follow, aligning closely with the requirements for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as "employment opportunities," "non-profit organisations," "self-made billionaire," and "charity." There are attempts to incorporate less common lexical items, though some word choices and phrasing are slightly unnatural, such as "helping others is the important part" or "clearing the doubts regarding their career." Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and errors do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, matching the standard expected for Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms throughout the essay, including conditional clauses and relative clauses. There are instances of good grammatical control, particularly in longer sentences such as "People struggle daily with their career directions... if a rich person at the top decided to hold an event..." However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward punctuation, such as run-on sentences in the introduction and comma splices (e.g., "It is however, their own choice and could not be forced upon"). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the grammar score from reaching Band 7.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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