Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-24

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)

I partially agree with the statement that 'nobody will buy printed newspapers and books because they will be able to read everything online without paying.'

The world is rapidly changing, with technology replacing all the physical things around us and consolidating them into an online web. Therefore, it would be correct to say that nobody will buy printed newspapers and books. However, this will not be because they don't have to pay for it, but because it will be accessible anywhere through their phones or laptops. This is just like shopping physically turning into shopping online because is easier and time saving. Just like people pay online for their shopping, newspapers and books will also be available online at a cost. We should not forget that the printing companies and publishers earn from it.

In my point of view, there will always be a handful of people who will buy the printed newspapers and books. These people are the senior citizens who struggle with technology and passionate youngsters who want to collect books and add them to their collection.

To conclude, I will always partially agree with the statement because there will always be some people who would prefer less online and more physical things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You state a clear partial agreement and make a relevant distinction: digital reading may become common, but this does not mean content will be free, since publishers still need to earn revenue. You also acknowledge that some people may continue buying print. However, the response addresses the task only partially: the claim that everything will be available online without payment is not explored in enough depth, and the reasons for continued print purchases are briefly asserted rather than supported. The response is 196 words, below the required 250; the nine words copied from the prompt are excluded from that count. Develop each main reason with explanation or an example, and clarify how far you agree with the prediction.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening position, a paragraph explaining the shift to digital reading, a paragraph about people who may retain print, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “Therefore,” “However,” and “To conclude” help show the relationship between ideas. Overall, the progression is understandable, but the short body paragraphs leave the argument underdeveloped, and some connections are not fully clear. For example, the move from technology replacing physical items to the claim that nobody will buy print is stronger than the evidence that follows. The conclusion repeats the partial-agreement position without drawing together the reasons. Extend the paragraphs and use clearer links between each claim and its supporting explanation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “publishers,” “accessible,” “senior citizens,” and “collection,” and the reader can understand your main points. There is some attempt to express broader ideas through phrases such as “technology replacing all the physical things around us.” However, the range is limited, and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “consolidating them into an online web,” “passionate youngsters,” and “prefer less online and more physical things.” These choices make parts of the argument less precise. Aim for more accurate collocations and topic-specific wording, such as describing a shift from print to digital formats or readers who collect physical books. Vary repeated references to “online” and “books” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including a subordinate clause in “because they don't have to pay for it” and a relative clause in “people who struggle with technology.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. In “because is easier and time saving,” the subject is missing; write “because it is easier and saves time.” The phrase “available online at a cost” is grammatically possible, but the pronoun in “pay for it” has an unclear reference to plural newspapers and books; use “pay for them.” The final sentence, “prefer less online and more physical things,” also needs a clearer grammatical comparison. Check pronoun reference and ensure each clause has a subject and a complete verb.

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