Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-20
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 people believe that the most impoetant benefit of being rich is having the opportunity to help other people. I partly agree with this view because helping others is an important benefit of wealth, but rich people can also use their money for their own needs and future.
On the one hand, wealthy people can make a positive difference in society. They can donate money to charities, support poor families and provide education to children who cannot afford it. For example, a rich person can give money to build a school or hospital in a developing area. In this way, wealth can be used to solve social problems and improve people's lives. Therefor, having the ability to help others can be an important advantage of being rich.
On the other hand, i do not think helping others is the only important things about being wealthy. Rich people can use their money to provide a comfertable life for themselves and their families. They can buy a good home, receive bettrer education and save money for unexpected situations. Moreover,they can invest their money in businesses, which may create jobs for others people.
In conclusion, i agree that helping others is major advantage of being rich, but i believe it is not necessrily the most important things. wealth can also provide
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, taking a clear and balanced position regarding whether helping others is the most important benefit of being rich. The student provides relevant ideas, such as charitable donations and personal investments creating jobs. However, the task achievement is significantly compromised because the response is incomplete and ends abruptly mid-sentence ('wealth can also provide'). Furthermore, it fails to meet the minimum length requirement, containing only 218 words instead of the required 250 words. Because of these omissions, the development is truncated, which restricts the overall band score for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a clear overall structure with paragraphing used to separate contrasting viewpoints. The writer successfully employs standard signposting language such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal the direction of the argument. Cohesive devices are generally appropriate, though referencing and flow suffer towards the end due to the incomplete conclusion. Paragraphs are reasonably focused on distinct themes, moving from societal benefits to personal advantages and economic stimulation. Overall, despite the abrupt ending, the organizational structure is easy to follow and meets the descriptors for a band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student displays an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'charities', 'developing area', 'social problems', and 'invest their money'. However, there are numerous spelling errors throughout the text, including 'impoetant', 'Therefor', 'comfertable', and 'bettrer'. These spelling mistakes, alongside occasional minor word choice issues, demonstrate limited control over lexical accuracy. While communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of basic spelling errors prevents the lexical resource from achieving a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, utilizing conditional clauses and relative pronouns effectively, as seen in 'children who cannot afford it' and 'businesses, which may create jobs'. Grammatical control is mixed; while many sentences are constructed correctly, there are issues with punctuation, capitalization, and article usage—such as lowercase 'i' used as a personal pronoun and missing punctuation before conjunctions. The most severe grammatical issue is the unfinished final sentence, which leaves a structural gap. Nevertheless, the grammar used is generally clear and understandable.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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