Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-08
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)
It is predicted that in the future, traditional newspapers and books will not be preferred by the most of the individuals, as the result of free online content. Although, information on online can have several benefits, I completely disagree with this viewpoint due to many reasons which are discussed in the upcoming paragraphs.
To begin with, most of digital books and news are easily accessible. However, they will not be available as free content, because most of the online books are published by freelance and electronic publishers. For example, books are usually cost a small amount of money if they want to download it. Usually authors and publishers benefit from this charge. As a result, digital books may cost lower than traditional books, they will not be charged free due to the fact that they are alternatives of physical copies of various books and many businesses can make profit from them.
On the other hands, despite the ease of easy access of digital resources, many individuals prefer paper publications because of its natural satisfying nature of reading paper books. For instance, classical novels with hardcover are often popular among individuals due to its nostalgic feeling that arise while touching and reading the book. Furthermore, reader's eyes don't get tired when they spend lot of time on reading. Consequently, most books lovers choice will be printed copies rather than digital versions.
In conclusion, although digital books have their own advantages. I firmly disagree that people choose them over print publications due to the fact that many readers find it more fulfilled with physical copies.
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 and maintains a clear position throughout. You have identified the two main aspects of the prompt: the availability of online content and the cost factor. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that digital books are not free, the argument could be strengthened by discussing the value proposition of physical books versus the convenience of digital ones in more depth. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and lacks a summary of the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph provides a more nuanced exploration of the topic rather than just stating general observations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', 'For example', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'On the other hands' (should be 'On the other hand'). The referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall progression of your argument. Overall, the structure is functional and supports the development of your ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, allowing you to express your opinions clearly. There are some attempts at using less common vocabulary, such as 'nostalgic' and 'publications', which is positive. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'most of the individuals' (should be 'most individuals'), 'cost lower' (should be 'cost less'), and 'more fulfilled' (should be 'more fulfilling'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. Expanding your range of collocations will help you achieve a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the most of the individuals'), pluralization ('most of digital books'), and subject-verb agreement ('books are usually cost'). Additionally, there are punctuation and prepositional errors, such as 'information on online' (should be 'information online') and 'spend lot of time' (should be 'spend a lot of time'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy of the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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