Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-14
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 argued that printed newspapers and books will not be purchased in coming future because everything will be available online without any payment. I strongly agree with this statement. In future everything will depend on the internet and these articles and newspapers will be available in it without any cost and these online virtual newspapers will not only be faster than traditional paper-based newspapers it will also be worldwide.
Online newspapers and books will be the future because the virtual news media is way faster than traditional one. It takes a full day for news to be printed in traditional newspapers whereas in virtual it takes just an hour or so. For instance of KTM post print their news once a day so if news occur after printing then the latest news will be printed in the upcoming day but for online news media it can upload news anytime of a day without any delay like in traditional media.
Similarly, Traditional media lag behind in international news too. As we all know it takes time for news to transfer from one place to another and especially for international news due to time zone the news do not spread rapidly. For example, a new disease has spread in the Uk and the news has to spread to warn citizens of other countries but most of the countries will not be warned in time with newspapers because it takes time for news to transfer and print but in virtual media if one media outlet posts it others can post it within an hour so it is reliable for instant news warning or global news.
In conclusion, Online media will replace the traditional newspapers and books as it is faster and more impactful for international news. Therefore, I firmly agree with the virtual media is the future.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student presents a clear position throughout the essay, strongly agreeing with the prompt that printed materials will be entirely replaced by free online content. The main body paragraphs focus on speed and international news delivery to support this stance. However, the task requires addressing whether people will read everything online 'without paying', an aspect of the prompt that is largely neglected in the body paragraphs, as the focus remains exclusively on speed rather than cost. Furthermore, ideas tend to be repetitive, focusing heavily on time differences and printing delays. These shortcomings place the response at Band 6, as it addresses the prompt overall but under-develops certain dimensions of the statement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, the progression is sometimes hindered by mechanical cohesive devices and repetitive phrasing. For instance, transitional phrases feel basic, and sentences such as 'For instance of KTM post print their news once a day so if news occur after printing then the latest news will be printed...' run on without effective punctuation or transition management. Referencing is also occasionally unclear. This demonstrates the characteristics of Band 6, where cohesion is at times faulty and mechanical.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'virtual news media', 'international news', and 'instant news warning'. However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'in coming future' instead of 'in the near future', 'available in it' instead of 'available on it', and 'KTM post print their news'. Additionally, spelling and grammatical form issues appear, such as repetitive use of 'traditional one' and 'virtual media'. This falls comfortably into Band 6, as the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points despite recurring lexical inaccuracies.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional clauses and relative clauses (e.g., 'if news occur after printing then the latest news will be printed'). However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are numerous run-on sentences lacking proper punctuation (e.g., the final sentence of the first paragraph and the second sentence of the third paragraph). Grammatical errors are frequent, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('news occur', 'news do not spread') and missing articles ('in UK' instead of 'in the UK'). These errors occasionally cause the reader difficulty, aligning the writing with Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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