Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-11

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 this modern era, due to advanced technology people convientely will be able to read whatever they want online without paying a single penny and no one will buy printed newspapers or books. I strongly agree with this statement because the word has evolved so much over the past years that people didn't had access to mobile phone so they used to buy books or newspapers so they stayed connected with the world. In the subsequent paragraphs, I will explain the reasons behind this agreement.

Nowadays, everyone has phones with them. They can easily gain knowledge by searching online. Many articles and theories will come in front of them to support their question. Moreover, reading online is time and money saving. For instance, if you love reading reading books and you are stuck on a complicated word that isn't making any sense to you instead of visiting a library or going to store to buy dictionary it is better to search it on browser.

On the other hand, many people are interested in what is happening around in their country or internationally. In preceding years, people only got to read news on a hard paper but appearently, modern technology has made it possible to read and watch news on screen. This development has unlocked mass communication field. This development also saves trees because paper comes from them.

On the contrary, some people enjoy reading on a hard copy rather then on mobile phones. Sometimes network is lost due to less signals so reading books physically is a good choice.

In my conclusion, in upcoming future there will be no existence of newspapers the reason is that digital technology has made it possible for us to read everything just by browsing it up without paying anything.

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 and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention the convenience of online reading and environmental benefits, the argument lacks depth regarding the 'without paying' aspect of the prompt. You touch upon the idea that digital content is free, but you do not explore the economic implications or the potential for subscription models, which would have strengthened the argument. The conclusion is a bit repetitive, and the counter-argument in the fourth paragraph is brief and lacks sufficient expansion to balance the essay effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'For instance', and 'On the other hand'. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In the subsequent paragraphs, I will explain...'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, in the second paragraph, 'support their question' is vague. The paragraphing is generally appropriate, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You use some basic phrasing like 'a single penny' and 'come in front of them', which are not entirely natural in an academic context. There are also some spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'convientely' (conveniently), 'appearently' (apparently), and 'rather then' (rather than). To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and academic vocabulary related to technology and media consumption.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have several grammatical errors, such as 'people didn't had access' (should be 'didn't have'), 'reading reading books' (repetition), and 'network is lost due to less signals' (should be 'fewer signals'). Punctuation is also an area for improvement, particularly regarding comma usage to separate clauses. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of tense.

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

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