Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-17
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)
Newspapers or books have always been a crucial part of the society. Some people believe that it will no longer be used in the future because of the internet, while others argue that it will be used and will become an important part of an individual's life. Personally, I partially agree that nobody will buy printed newspapers or books in the future.
First and foremost, there are several reasons why it will not be used by many people. One of the main reasons is due to the internet. Nowadays, people prefer using the internet for everything they want in their life like shopping, grocery, books etc. As today's age is the age of modern technology, it has made people's lives easier, convenient and faster. People prefer using their mobile phones for reading, writing and communicating. They will use websites for reading books and learing about the news they want to hear. Maybe in the future as well, they will use their mobile phone to understand and listen to news and read books online.
On the other hand, I believe that it will have a negative impact on children as well as old people. Older generations do not know about the technology much, so they prefer reading printed books or newspaper. If children who are about to start their schooling use the internet, what about their mental development and creativity skill? Children should not be allowed to use mobile phone to read online rather they should be motivated to use printed books to read.
In conclusion, newspaper or books will not be completely replaced by technologies rather it will be preserved and printed in a standard form so it will be easier for people to understand and read books. People should understand the value of old papers and should be used for the future generations.
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 addresses all parts of the task and establishes a clear position in the introduction, stating that they partially agree with the statement. The response explores both sides of the argument, discussing the convenience and popularity of the internet for reading news and books, while also highlighting the negative impacts on older generations and children's mental development. However, some ideas remain slightly under-developed; for example, the argument regarding children's creativity could have been expanded with more specific examples. Overall, the task is adequately fulfilled, corresponding to a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the topic. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as "First and foremost," "On the other hand," and "In conclusion." However, referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the pronoun "it" in phrases like "why it will not be used" where the antecedent "newspapers or books" is slightly distant. Cohesion can occasionally feel a bit mechanical, placing this response firmly in the Band 6.0 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common expressions such as "crucial part of the society," "modern technology," and "mental development." However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as "shopping, grocery, books etc." instead of "online shopping and purchasing groceries," and "learing" (a spelling error for learning). Despite these slips, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding the reader, aligning with the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional structures like "If children who are about to start... what about their mental development?". There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present throughout the text, such as "Newspapers or books have always been... because it will no longer be used" (subject-verb agreement issues with plural/singular nouns) and "should be used for the future generations" (missing prepositions or passive voice errors). Nevertheless, these errors do not severely impede communication, and the writer maintains a reasonable level of control, supporting a Band 5.5 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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