Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

This topic is indeed debatable. The readers who prefer reading physical books and newspapers might still opt for a physical copy of it. Whilst the younger generation might have a different approach towards it. They will definitely go for electronic newspapers or rather they won't even go for it. These days we can see how social media has provided us with news in the form of short reels or videos which is more preferable by this generation.

I do agree to the statement that in future nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying. The newspapers, magazines and books would be kept in library which we can call has heritage ste later, where it can be available for the ones who is interested.

We all know how social media has influenced these generations and how the future generation is gonna be affected by it. On the other side it also depends on the parent and their habits for reading. The physical reading is more effective way of reading which has eye and brain connection. It makes you visualize the scenario way different than the videos posted by some random person. The brain develops in terms of creativity as we start to create our own imagination after reading from a physical book. For example, if a child is reading a story book he or she is gonna start imagining the character in a certain way which mobile phone , ipad or laptop ain't gonna serve. Hence, I would personally make the effort for my kids to have a habit of reading physical copies of books, newspaper or magazine rather then relying on gadgets.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you agree that free online access will reduce purchases of printed material, while also recognising that some readers may continue to prefer physical copies. You address the future of newspapers and books and give a relevant reason for retaining print, explaining how reading can encourage children’s imagination. However, the discussion is uneven: the claim that printed publications will be kept in libraries as heritage is not explained, and the argument about free online access is asserted rather than supported with examples or detail. The opening also introduces social-media videos without clearly connecting them to whether people will buy books. Develop both sides more fully and make the link between your examples and your position explicit. (21 words copied from the task prompt were not counted.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable overall shape, moving from an opening contrast to your position and then to a supporting example about children. However, progression between ideas is not consistently clear. For instance, “Whilst the younger generation might have a different approach” is left as a fragment, and the shift from social-media news to libraries and then to parental reading habits feels abrupt. Linking phrases such as “On the other side” signal contrast, but the relationship between the points that follow is not always clear. Use a more deliberate paragraph structure, with each paragraph focused on one main idea, and connect examples directly to the claim they support. Clearer referencing would also help readers follow what “it” refers to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including topic-related terms such as “physical copy,” “social media,” “heritage,” and “creativity.” There are also attempts at more expressive phrasing, such as “create our own imagination,” although this is not a natural collocation. Some word choices are vague or informal for an academic essay: “go for it,” “ain’t gonna serve,” and “random person” weaken the register, while “heritage ste” appears to be an unclear or mistyped phrase. Repetition of “physical” and “generation” also limits variety. Aim for precise, natural combinations and a consistently formal tone; for example, describe the benefits of print as supporting “visualisation and imaginative thinking.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex forms, including a conditional example about a child reading and a relative clause in “which has eye and brain connection.” However, some sentence structures are incomplete or inaccurate. “Whilst the younger generation might have a different approach towards it” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence, and “where it can be available for the ones who is interested” contains problems with clause structure and subject–verb agreement. There are also errors in articles and number, as in “a physical copy of it” and “a certain way,” alongside inconsistent punctuation and spacing. Review sentence boundaries and agreement, and edit each sentence for complete clauses. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to follow.

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