Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-09

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)

Many people believe that in the coming days nobody will be buying books and newspapers due to the fact that they will have an access to every reading material on the internet without paying. I largely agree with this stance because people might prioritise their convenience and accessibility, however physical reading develops critical-thinking abilities and gives better understanding of things.

To begin with, it is believed that physical books and newspapers will be replaced with e-books in the future. This is because technological advancements have made people's lives easier by providing everything on the internet. People can use various tools where they can read their favourite books and get updates in little amount. Furthermore, people do not have to wait for the physical books because they can access them online without paying for the physical books. As a result, due to widely availability of everything online and that too free of charge, people might prefer their convenience and save their money.

However, on the other hand, people might loose their critical thinking abilities which I believe is developed by reading things physically. Similarly, people who wait for their favourite novels might get spoilers online, which will affect their interests. Besides these drawbacks, the pros of reading and listening everything on the internet outweigh its disadvantages.

In conclusion, I largely agree with this.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is stated clearly in the introduction (“I largely agree”), and you give relevant reasons involving online convenience and the possible benefits of physical reading. However, the response only partially develops the task: the main body focuses on why online reading may be preferred, while the claim that physical reading develops critical thinking is asserted rather than explained or supported. The point about spoilers is also not clearly connected to whether printed books and newspapers will disappear. Your conclusion simply repeats your level of agreement without summarising the reasoning. The response is 28 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop and support your ideas. Explain both sides more fully and make the final position follow from that discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the contrast between “To begin with” and “However” helps signal a change in direction. The overall progression is nevertheless limited: the second body paragraph moves from critical thinking to spoilers and then to the advantages of online reading, without clearly linking these points. “However, on the other hand” is also a redundant transition, and “Besides these drawbacks” does not make the relationship between the drawbacks and the stated conclusion fully clear. Develop one central idea in each paragraph and use referencing or linking phrases to show how each example supports your position. A fuller conclusion would also provide a clearer sense of closure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “technological advancements,” “accessibility,” “critical-thinking abilities” and “free of charge,” so the topic is generally clear. However, some word choices and collocations are noticeably inaccurate or awkward, such as “get updates in little amount,” “due to widely availability,” and “loose their critical thinking abilities.” “Reading and listening everything” is also imprecise in this discussion of books and newspapers. These choices sometimes make the reader pause to interpret your meaning, while repeated use of “people,” “physical books” and “online” limits flexibility. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling and word forms; for example, use “lose” for the verb and “wide availability” for the noun phrase.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a reason clause (“This is because technological advancements…”) and a concession introduced by “however.” Most ideas remain understandable, but errors in articles, agreement and sentence construction are evident. For example, “they will have an access” needs no article before “access,” while “due to widely availability” has an incorrect form within the phrase. The sentence beginning “As a result, due to…” combines its cause-and-effect links awkwardly, and “people might loose…” contains a verb-form spelling error that affects grammatical accuracy. The range is present but not consistently controlled. Practise building clear sentences around one main clause, then check articles, noun forms and the grammatical pattern following linking expressions.

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