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)

Newspaper is the mirror of the world, showing us what is happening around us every day. It is argued that in the future people will stop buying printed newspapers and book because all the information will be available online for free. While I agree that digital is growing very fast, I do not competely agree that printed materials will disappear entirely. I will discusse in below paragraph.

First of all, one reason to agree with this statement is that electronic media is much more convenient and cheaper. Today people can read newspaper magazines and even book on their phones, tablets or computer without paying. Website, blogs and social media provide instant updates, so there is no need to wait for the daily newspaper. Futhermore, ebook are often free or much cheaper than printed books. this save money and is also brtter for the enviorment because it use less paper.

However, I disagree that nobody will buy printed materials in the future. First, many people still prefer the experience of reading a physical book or newspaper. It do not cause eye strainand people can read it without internet or electricity. Second, printed book and newspaper are seen as more credible sources. they go through editors and fact-checkers, while online information sometimes be fake. Finally, forcollectors and the students, printed book have value and can be kept for many years.

In conclusion, althought electronic media will continue to grow and many people will prefer to read online for free, I do not belive that printed newspaper and books will disappear completely. Both formats will likely exist together to meet different needs to readers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both sides of the argument—the growth and advantages of digital reading as well as the enduring appeal and necessity of printed materials—and clearly states a position. The ideas are extended and supported with relevant arguments, such as convenience, cost-effectiveness, environmental factors for digital media, and sensory preference, credibility, and collector value for print. For example, the student writes, 'First of all, one reason to agree with this statement is that electronic media is much more convenient and cheaper.' The position is maintained throughout the essay, and the conclusion succinctly reiterates the stance. While some of the supporting points could be further elaborated for a higher band, the task is successfully and fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, distinct body paragraphs addressing both sides of the issue, and a concluding paragraph. Cohesive devices and transition markers such as 'First of all', 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are used to structure the text and signal the progression of ideas. However, paragraphing and referencing show minor mechanical flaws, notably with a meta-commentary phrase in the introduction ('I will discusse in below paragraph') which is awkward and disrupts the academic tone. Despite these minor lapses, the overall arrangement is coherent, and the progression of arguments is reasonably easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The writer uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'electronic media', 'fact-checkers', 'credible sources', and 'collectors'. Less common lexical items are attempted, although there are some word-choice and spelling errors that occasionally surface, such as 'compotely' instead of completely, 'ebook' instead of e-books, 'brtter' instead of better, 'enviorment' instead of environment, and 'forcollectors' with a missing space. Nevertheless, these inaccuracies do not impede communication, and the vocabulary remains minimally sufficient to convey the intended arguments clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, demonstrating attempts at subordination and coordination. There are several instances of good control, but grammatical inaccuracies occur with noticeable frequency. Examples of errors include subject-verb agreement issues ('It do not cause eye strain', 'printed book and newspaper are', 'online information sometimes be fake'), pluralization errors ('Newspaper is the mirror', 'ebook are', 'printed book'), and missing capitalization or punctuation marks. While these errors are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band, they rarely impede overall communication or obscure the writer's meaning.

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

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