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)

In the future, online services will become an important source of information for the people. Some people believe that nobody will buy the printed newspapers or books, while others argue that people will continue to buy because they are more comfortable to read with the books. In my opinion, I believe that online newspapers and books are much easier to use and access.

To begin with, one of the main reason for buying newspapers or books in the future would be the older people. This is because, people are getting older and are unable to see properly because of their blurry vision. For example, reaching to the older age, will make their eye-sight not working properly, and can't get the words from the screen, which become difficult for them to understand the letters and the numbers. As a result, elder people would prefer to buy books or newspapers. Therefore, it is clear that most of people will buy newspapers or books in the future.

On the other hand, most people prefer to read everything from the internet. One of the reasons is that, they do not have to spent the money on purchasing as well as it will be the convenient source for the people to read from mobile phone. Forexample, most of students prefer to read the books from e-learning platforms. Consequently, there would be demand for these platform in order to gain education or read the books. However, I believe that availability of books through the online platforms benefits the young generation in the future.

In conclusion, reading from the online platforms have both advantages and disadvantages which vary from generations to generations. But I believe that people would adopt this concept of reading in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a relevant position, especially in the opening and conclusion, where you favour online reading and predict that people will adopt it. You also consider a counterpoint: older readers may prefer print. However, the response does not fully resolve the question of whether nobody will buy printed material, and the position is not entirely consistent: you predict older people will buy print, then conclude that people will adopt online reading. The older-reader argument is difficult to follow and is not well supported, while the point about students using e-learning platforms is more relevant but remains brief. Develop both sides with clearer reasoning and examples, and state precisely how far you agree with the claim.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting points, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear. In the first body paragraph, the link between older people’s eyesight and their preference for printed material needs clearer explanation; the final sentence also makes a broad claim that conflicts with the essay’s online-reading position. Some linking phrases feel mechanical, and references such as “these platform” are unclear. Make each paragraph develop one central point in a logical sequence, and use transitions and references more precisely.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “printed newspapers,” “online platforms,” “e-learning,” and “convenient source.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural, which can make meaning less clear. For example, “get the words from the screen” and “eye-sight not working properly” do not express the intended ideas naturally; “demand for these platform” also has a word-form and number problem. “Forexample” is incorrectly written as one word. Build a wider set of accurate expressions for discussing access, reading preferences, and digital media, and check collocations and spelling when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, using structures such as “This is because…” and “which become difficult for them…”. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect clarity. Examples include “one of the main reason,” “they do not have to spent,” and “reading from the online platforms have.” The sentence beginning “For example, reaching to the older age…” is also difficult to follow because its subject and verb structure are not controlled. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and verb forms, and simplify sentences when a longer structure becomes hard to manage. More accurate complex sentences would make your reasoning easier to understand.

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