Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-12
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 the upcoming years, purchasing of printed newspapers or books will become obsolete and people will shift to online reading without paying a dime. I strongly agree to this notion. This essay will suggest that this phenomenon will cause cost reduction in companies and accessability to public.
Technological advancements have already made its way to change prior traditions. Printing companies invest huge amount of money on machinaries and labour to sustain workflow. Web-based books will reduce this cost and eventually discard the physical printing model by digitalizing every step, making books free of cost for everyone. For example, a study revealed in the UK in 2019 that 36% of printing industries have closed down because of the increasing technological growth.
Moreover, internet will accumulate countless websites for book making it convenient for people to read without spending a penny. These sites will provide enormous platforms where people of all ages can find any book in the world without setting a foot outside home. For example, Waterstones is the biggest UK online book store which has gathered audience from all around the country by providing endless rang of books to read free of cost.
In conclusion, digital progress will make traditional printing to vanish and allow people to read free books online at their conveniece from anywhere across the world.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student presents a clear position throughout the essay and addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both cost reduction and accessibility. However, the ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed, particularly regarding the assumption that all digital books will be entirely free of charge. Furthermore, the response is significantly under-length, containing only 219 words compared to the required 250-word minimum. This results in a direct penalty to the Task Achievement score, as the task has only been addressed partially due to the insufficient length. To reach a higher band, the writer must expand on their arguments with deeper analysis and ensure the word count requirement is fully met.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a clear logical organization with an introduction, two distinct body paragraphs focusing on separate main points, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'In conclusion' are utilized to guide the reader through the text, although some referencing and transitions can be a bit mechanical. There is a coherent overall arrangement, and information flows reasonably well from one idea to the next, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'obsolete', 'technological advancements', and 'digitalizing'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'purchasing of printed newspapers', 'accessability to public' (spelling and preposition use), and 'endless rang of books'. Despite these errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without severely impeding communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'Printing companies invest huge amount of money on machinaries and labour to sustain workflow.' There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('huge amount', 'internet will accumulate', 'without setting a foot outside home'), preposition errors ('agree to this notion' instead of 'with'), and spelling mistakes ('machinaries', 'accessability', 'conveniece'). These errors do not generally impede communication, reflecting the characteristics of Band 6 where a mix of structures is used alongside persistent errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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