Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07

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)

It is often a debatable topic that a few number of people prefer to keep doing things they are familiar with; however, I believe trying adventure activities offer a great experience to enjoy a life.

On the one hand, some people prefer to stick normal activities because of their comfort. In other words, individuals find familiar environment while following normal work routines, which makes them expert. Since doing same activities for years, makes people perfect and saves their time, which is very crucial. For instance, although regular works may be little boring, it helps people to maintain a balance and doing things at self-paced.

On the other hand, some people like to do thrill activities because these gives them memories and gives their life a motive to try different things from others, which is enriching and rewarding. Moreover, when people explore new places and try different food, they can enhance their knowledge about diverse culture and tradition, by which they can store numerous memories while talking w

In conclusion, although doing same activity has advantages like saving time and enjoying own space, the merits like explore new culture and tradition while enjoying different cosines and visiting diverse destinations surpass the former view point.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the discussion. The ideas are introduced but not fully developed; for instance, the explanation of why routine is beneficial is quite brief, and the second body paragraph is cut off mid-sentence. To improve, you must expand on your points with more detailed examples and ensure the essay meets the length requirement to allow for a comprehensive exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to signal structure. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete final sentence and the overall brevity of the text. Paragraphing is present, but the logical flow is interrupted by the abrupt ending. To achieve a higher score, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that ideas are linked more fluidly using a wider variety of cohesive devices, while ensuring the essay is complete.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on simple phrasing such as 'normal activities' and 'thrill activities'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'doing same activities' (should be 'doing the same activities') and 'different cosines' (likely meant 'cuisines'). To improve, focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary and ensure accurate collocations to express your ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'a few number of people' (redundant), 'these gives them' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'doing things at self-paced' (incorrect prepositional phrase). Punctuation is also inconsistent, and the incomplete sentence at the end of the second paragraph is a significant issue. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring all sentences are complete and grammatically sound.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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