Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-06
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people like to try new things, for example, places to visit and types of food. Other people prefer to keep doing things they are familiar with.
Discuss both these attitudes and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
A number of individuals prefer to explore new things such as visiting new places and eating different types of food; however, other people only love to do the things they are known with or familiar with. This essay will discuss both views along with my opinion in the paragraphs.
On the one hand, there are numerous reasons why people like to try new things in life. First and foremost, these types of individuals are always ready to learn about new places or explore new cuisines because they love to gain information regarding and for that reason they explore several places in their life. As a result, they gain information regarding the culture and tradition of different countries. For instance, a survey by BBC News reported that 65% of individuals in India prefer to visit new places just to gain knowledge about culture and tradition of other nations. Moreover, after visiting several places in life people become more confident which give them confidence to explore more places as much as they can.
On the other hand, there are few people who do not like trying new things and stick with familiar things. Firstly, some individuals do not want to leave their comfort zone which is the main reason of not exploring new places or trying new meals because since their childhood they are committed to same things and they feel hesitation to try something new things in life such as visiting new places and eating new food; consequently, they make their life boring.
To recapitulate, although people do not try new things in life because of their comfort zone or hesitation; however, in opinion, individuals should definitely explore new cities, countries or food to have more fun in life.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument for trying new things focuses heavily on 'gaining information' and 'confidence' without exploring other dimensions like personal growth or adaptability. Similarly, the argument for sticking to familiar things is limited to the concept of a 'comfort zone'. While the task is addressed, the supporting points lack depth and could be more thoroughly extended to reach a higher band. The inclusion of a specific statistic adds a touch of relevance, though the overall development remains somewhat superficial.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'To recapitulate' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'explore new places' and 'gain information'. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by varying the structure of the cohesive links. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the essay maintains a logical structure throughout.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is a tendency to repeat phrases like 'new things', 'new places', and 'gain information'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'things they are known with' instead of 'things they are familiar with'. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the range is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. To improve, the student should focus on using synonyms and more sophisticated collocations to avoid repetition.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'which give them confidence' (should be 'gives'), 'the same things' (missing article), and 'in opinion' (should be 'in my opinion'). Additionally, the sentence 'although people do not try new things... however, in opinion' is grammatically incorrect due to the redundant use of 'although' and 'however'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. More attention to subject-verb agreement and complex sentence construction is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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