Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-30

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)

I partially agree that, in the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books due to the fact that, everything will be available online , whatever they want to read. The main advantage is that it will be free for everyone. People will not need to find out their desired book or journal in different book shops. Everyone will get newspapers on time on the Internet. But there is a risk that, mostly the new generation will not have a keen interest in books or newspapers. Moreover the older people do not have enough knowledge about using the Internet. Therefore they will be unable to read online books or the newspapers. Online books and newspapers will be very beneficial for readers in future because they can read their desired book free of cost. Moreover, it saves the time of the readers, they spend for finding out their favourite book at different bookstores and sometimes it's not available in bookstores too. Similarly, the useless old books usually cover a lot of space in the room. And there is no empty space for new books. The readers spend a large amount of time in sorting and storing books. Nevertheless, Online books and newspapers are the only solution to all the problems that we discussed above. As we know, mostly the older people, used to read newspapers and books because nowadays the young people are not interested in reading books or newspaper. But the issue is that , mostly the older people do not know how to use the Internet or how to open online books and newspaper. Therefore, in consequence the older people will prefer to read books or newspapers physically , not online, in future. In conclusion, I would like to mention that, if the readers know the use of the Internet and online things , then online books and newspapers will be very beneficial for them. But if they do not aware of it , usually they will prefer to read the tangible books or newspapers

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the future of printed media and the shift to online content. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. You mention the benefits of online access and the challenges for older generations multiple times without adding new depth. To reach a higher band, ensure each paragraph introduces a distinct, well-supported point rather than restating the same arguments. Your position is clear, but the argument could be more nuanced by considering factors beyond just 'free access' and 'age-related digital literacy,' such as the tactile experience of reading or the reliability of online information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is sometimes mechanical. You rely heavily on basic transition words like 'Moreover' and 'Similarly,' which makes the progression feel repetitive. Some sentences are disjointed, such as the sudden shift to discussing 'useless old books' taking up space. Improving the use of referencing (e.g., using 'this trend' or 'such challenges' to link back to previous points) would help create a smoother, more logical flow. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs needs better cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You frequently use simple phrases like 'very beneficial,' 'get newspapers,' and 'read online books.' There is an attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but it is limited. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and academic synonyms. For example, instead of 'get newspapers,' you could use 'access digital publications.' Additionally, watch for minor errors in word choice, such as 'if they do not aware of it,' which should be 'if they are not aware of it.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'mostly the older people, used to read' and 'the readers spend a large amount of time in sorting'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary commas appearing before 'that' or after 'issue is that'. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing 'are' or 'is' in passive constructions.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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