Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-03
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 6.0)
In the era of technological advent, people prefer to read about the latest news article, formerly printed, for free online. I believe that this statement is only partially true as sometimes information published online is much more practical and accessible, however, some people do not mind paying for it.
It is a given that purchasing a physical print of newspaper or book is more labor intensive than simply searching the latest news up online. People who value convenience will undoubtedly do the later instead. Additionally, The amount of news they can access is much more varied online, rather than the limited printable area on a physical paper's surface. One can even access publications from multiple channels instead of manually gathering them one by one.
Purchasing a printed copy is often more expensive than getting the free copy online. However, some group of people, especially those who has urgency in their field of work or interest, will gladly still pay a sum of money to get their digital information. One reason is for the quality of the information, as some online article might be misleading, and the other is speed, as one pay to get information faster than common internet user. Take trading for example, to predict stock movements, trader need accurate report of market trend, not random trivial article by a no-name publisher whose credibility might be of questionable origin. Traders also work with time, because the sooner they can predict the trend, the more measure they can take to benefit out of their forecast. Hence, it is uncommon for people to subscribe to online information channels.
In conclusion, it is inevitable that the trend of buying offline copy of book and newspaper will shift to online copy, but some people are still willing to pay to get them.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the shift to digital is inevitable but that paid content will persist. The ideas are relevant and supported by a specific example regarding stock traders. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding why people pay for information is well-reasoned, but the initial points about convenience could be more deeply explored to reach a higher band. The conclusion is a bit abrupt and could have better synthesized the main points. Overall, the response is focused and maintains a consistent position throughout.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'However', and 'Hence' are used to guide the reader through the argument. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the second paragraph ('do the later') contains a minor error that slightly disrupts the cohesion. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate and allows for clear communication. There are attempts to use more sophisticated terms like 'technological advent', 'inevitable', and 'credibility'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'printable area' instead of 'print space' and 'labor intensive' which is slightly misused in this context. The phrase 'do the later' is a spelling error for 'latter'. While the range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('those who has urgency', 'trader need', 'one pay') and minor punctuation or article usage slips. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the reader's understanding of the argument. The writer shows an ability to construct complex sentences, but the frequency of minor errors prevents the writing from reaching the level of 'frequent error-free sentences' required for a Band 7.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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