Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-22
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In the future nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Student answer (Band 5.5)
In the current era many people think that few people buy printed newspapers or books since they will be able to read everything on the internet without paying any charges. I partially agree with this viewpoint because nowadays individuals interest sifting on digital media and ebook they can read newspapers or books on the internet.
On the one hand, numerous individuals believe that the internet provides quick news compared to newspapers. This is because whenever an accident occurs online media immediately uploads news on their website. As a result, this is a time-saving method and people do not need to wait for physical newspapers. Furthermore, digital news and books are a flexible way because people can easily read news on the internet at anytime. To illustrate, if people travel abroad and they want to read a newspaper, but unfortunately they do not have one. At that time they can read news on social media. As a consequence, they do not need to carry books and newspapers from their home.
On the other hand, individuals will only read news on the internet. Many newspaper companies will close. Because newspaper companies face significant losses. Consequently, numerous people will become unemployed. However, digital editions sometimes provide wrong information. For instance, many people sometimes trust fake news. For that reason, they face problems in their life they do not know the right information about daily news.
To conclude, online is the fastest way to gain knowledge and people can easily read news on their smartphone without buying books and newspapers. However, this method will create several challenges for newspaper companie and book publisher.
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 the shift toward digital media and the potential decline of print. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While you provide reasons for the popularity of digital media, the argument regarding the economic impact on newspaper companies is less developed and lacks a clear link to the 'without paying' aspect of the prompt. The position is clear, but the analysis of whether everything will be free is not fully explored, as you focus more on convenience than the economic model of digital publishing. To improve, ensure each point directly supports your stance and provides deeper reasoning.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'To conclude' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some linking words are used repetitively or slightly inaccurately, such as 'At that time' or 'For that reason'. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the ideas in the second paragraph could be smoother to improve the overall progression of your argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'digital media', 'physical newspapers', and 'unemployed'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'individuals interest sifting on digital media' and 'newspaper companie'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repetitive structures. Expanding your range of academic vocabulary will help you express your ideas with greater nuance and sophistication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('newspaper companies face', 'people... they do not know'), article usage, and sentence fragments ('Because newspaper companies face significant losses'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences ending abruptly or lacking necessary commas. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensure that your complex sentences are constructed with correct subordination to avoid fragments.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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