Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-21

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 7.5)

The prompt claims that printed books and newspapers will go extinct and people will be able to access the digital versions of these materials at no cost. I largely disagree with this idea because I think the printed and digital versions of these literatures are going to co-exist and all the digital versions won't be available for free.

The main reason why the printed versions will not vanish completely is that the hard copies of books and newspapers aren't just reading materials. They have an aesthetic value as well. People decorate their homes with books. Paper cuttings are used to organize personal diaries. Another contributing factor would be nostalgia. The scent of papers, the hand-feel can't be felt while reading a book or a newspaper on a screen. Individuals who fell in love with these feelings aren't going to let go of the printed versions.

Though there are digital copies of the books and newspapers available, they aren't totally free. The newspaper authorities and book publications have integrated paywalls to limit access to their products. They generally put a preview of the content for free and ask viewers to pay for the full access. This is particularly true for scientific publications. It's true that there are a lot of free and open-source resources online. However, people still can't choose what they can read without paying and there's a high chance that their preferred newspapers or favourite books are locked behind payment gateways.

In conclusion, my opinion is that people will have access to some reading materials for free online but most of them are going to be paid. Moreover, the print media is going to co-exist with digital media instead of getting replaced by it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

Your position is clear from the introduction: you largely disagree because print and digital media will coexist, and online access will not always be free. You address both parts of the prompt and support your view with relevant points about the aesthetic and nostalgic appeal of print, as well as paywalls and paid scientific publications. These examples make the response persuasive and keep it focused. To develop the argument further, explain more precisely why these preferences are likely to persist in the future, and qualify broad claims such as “people decorate their homes with books” with a little more explanation or evidence. The conclusion accurately restates your position, though it could draw together the two main reasons more explicitly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The essay has a clear progression: the introduction states your position, the two body paragraphs develop separate reasons, and the conclusion returns to the central argument. Paragraphing is effective, and transitions such as “Though” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the shift between ideas. Within paragraphs, the examples generally appear in a logical order. Some linking is a little formulaic, however, and the sequence of short statements in the print paragraph (“They have an aesthetic value as well. People decorate their homes with books.”) could be joined or developed to make the reasoning flow more smoothly. You could also use clearer referencing when moving from books to newspapers, so that “they” and “these materials” always have an unmistakable referent.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic, including “aesthetic value,” “nostalgia,” “paywalls,” “open-source resources,” and “payment gateways.” These choices show awareness of the subject and help distinguish the appeal of print from the cost of online content. Some expressions are less natural or precise in context: “these literatures” is not the usual way to refer to books and newspapers, while “the hand-feel” and “newspaper authorities” sound awkward. “Paper cuttings” is also unclear as an example of how books are used. Aim for more conventional collocations and precise nouns, and avoid repeating “versions” and “free” where alternatives such as “formats” and “without charge” would fit.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

You use a range of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “Though there are digital copies…” and “because I think…” Most sentences are clear and several are accurately controlled, including the explanation of how publishers use paywalls. A few grammatical choices remain awkward. In “The scent of papers, the hand-feel can't be felt,” the compound subject does not fit naturally with the singular passive construction; recast it as “Readers cannot experience the scent of paper or its texture on a screen.” In “ask viewers to pay for the full access,” the article is unnecessary before “full access.” The phrase “people still can't choose what they can read without paying” also needs a clearer clause structure to express the intended limitation. More consistent control of these details would strengthen accuracy.

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