Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-29
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)
With the advancement of technology, there are hardly any person without smartphone. Smartphones have made the life on earth so convenient. Nowadays, phones are also utilized for reading news and books through online websites and applications. There is an argument that in the future nobody will buy printed newspapers and books as they are available online that too free of cost. I completely agree with this statement and in this essay, i will support my view with valid arguments and examples.
To commence with, Smartphones changed our life to a great extent. We can access a plenty of things in a single click from the comfort of our homes. Nowadays we can even watch news on phones, and these things will be more increased in future. Newspaper and books that will be provided online may have multifarious benefits. First and foremost, in today's hectic schedule every person is burdened with the workload. They do not have enough to spend on reading newspaper. With the help of online applications and websites, they can easily know about the matters and the necessary things that allow them to have the information of the events happening around the world without worrying about the shortage of time. Reading news online helps to save time which one can invest in other activities.
On contrary to this, it may some drawbacks too. The older generation once spend hours on reading printer newspapers and then discussed with their friends and other family members. But with the availability of news online will prevent them to sit with their friends. Consequently, they will become more phone addicted that will badly affect their health. In addition to this, the factories and people who survived their life by printing and selling newspapers door-to-door will be greatly affected.
To conclude, this phenomenon has a plethora of pros and cons. In my perception, its optimistic side overshadows its pessimistic side. Although this development may affect the life of people, it can be excellent development in the field of technology.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have addressed all parts of the prompt and maintained a clear position throughout. You successfully argued that the shift to online reading is inevitable and beneficial. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, you mention that online news has 'multifarious benefits' but only focus on time-saving. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis of why printed media will disappear entirely, rather than just stating it as a fact. The conclusion is a bit brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'To commence with', 'On contrary to this', and 'In addition to this', to link your points. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as 'On contrary to this' (should be 'On the contrary' or 'Conversely'). Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, in the third paragraph, the phrase 'will prevent them to sit' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow of your argument. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'advancement', 'multifarious', 'hectic schedule', and 'plethora'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'these things will be more increased' (should be 'this trend will increase') and 'survived their life' (should be 'made a living'). While your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your ideas clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Focusing on collocations and more natural phrasing will help you improve your score in this area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'there are hardly any person' (should be 'there is hardly any person' or 'there are hardly any people'), 'enough to spend' (missing an object, e.g., 'enough time'), and 'will prevent them to sit' (should be 'will prevent them from sitting'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage after verbs, and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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