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)
In years to come, people will no longer buy hard copy books or newspapers because there will be more availability of online books ( soft copy) about whatever they want to read or know of. Personally, i wildly agree that electronic books take over traditional books because of development in technology, convenient handling , and easy purchase.
One major reason why i think digital books will dominate printed books is development in technology. Online books are becoming more advanced and easy to procure from your own comfort. A friend of mine no longer buys hard copy books due to he has online sites where he gets all the books be wants and also it can last for years without it getting missing or becoming old so its comfortable for him that way.
In addition, a lot of individuals find it inconvenient to carry books around because it always heavy and not so comfortable to move about with also maintaining, hard-copy books as it gets missing, turn, or letters starts fading off. For instance, when my brother was still schooling, he had a lot of textbooks hoping to give them to his friend who was in a lower class but before he finished school the books had already become old and getting turn which made him to not be able to give the books to his friend anymore and he ended throwing the books away.
In conclusion, electronic reading materials will take over the printed books because of the quality it offers.
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
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but the development of ideas is limited. While you mention technology and convenience, the arguments are somewhat repetitive and rely heavily on personal anecdotes rather than broader societal analysis. The prompt asks about the future of printed media and the 'without paying' aspect, which you touch upon but do not fully explore. To improve, ensure you provide more balanced, analytical support for your claims. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively summarize the main points or restate the position in a sophisticated manner.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'In addition', 'For instance'). There are issues with referencing, such as in the second paragraph where the connection between the friend's experience and the broader argument is slightly disjointed. The flow between sentences is sometimes interrupted by awkward phrasing, which makes the progression of ideas feel less smooth. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You use some informal or imprecise terms like 'soft copy', 'get missing', and 'turn' (likely meaning 'torn'). The repetition of basic words like 'books' and 'online' limits your score. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more academic collocations and precise terminology related to digital media and publishing. Avoid colloquial phrasing and focus on building a more sophisticated vocabulary that demonstrates an awareness of style and register.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You frequently make errors with verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions (e.g., 'due to he has', 'he ended throwing', 'letters starts fading'). Punctuation is also problematic, with inconsistent spacing around commas and periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to distract the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips, particularly regarding verb forms and pluralization.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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