Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11
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)
While some people love trying new experiences, some individuals prefer going with familiar experience. although both approaches have their benefit I feel trying new things is more beneficial.
On firsthand, it creates opportunity and avenue for learning new experience and make life more interesting. it creates a way for individuals to learn about other place, belief and culture, shaping their mindset. For example, someone who travel to the eastern part of Nigeria can learn about their cultural way like the new yam festivals and other things like their local delicacies. this keeps them open minded to learning new things
However, familiar experience create comfort, and one can avoid risk. therefore, they don't need to worry about having a bad experience or having to try food that are bad which saves money and time. a clear example can be someone can choose to try a particular restaurant because they are fully aware of the food and what to expect saving them money.
In my view people should be open to trying new things even though familiar experience is nice, but it creates an opportunity to be open minded
In conclusion, some people prefer trying new things because they are exciting and educational while some go with familiar experiences because of comfort and risk, I believe trying new things is more beneficial because it helps in gaining more knowledge about things generally.
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 response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. While the ideas regarding cultural learning and financial comfort are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped. The conclusion is repetitive, and the overall length constraint prevents a more thorough exploration of the topic. To improve, you should expand on your examples and ensure each body paragraph has a more robust explanation to meet the word count requirement and fully develop your arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices like 'However' and 'In conclusion', but the transitions between sentences are sometimes mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the start of the second paragraph 'On firsthand' is non-standard. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect your arguments more fluidly. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is quite brief and lacks sufficient development to serve as a strong conclusion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'new things' and 'good/bad' repeatedly. There are some errors in word choice, such as 'cultural way' instead of 'cultural traditions' or 'customs'. While the meaning is clear, the lack of more sophisticated or academic vocabulary limits your score. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations related to the topic of travel, personal growth, and risk management.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'familiar experience create comfort'), missing articles, and punctuation errors (e.g., lack of capitalization at the start of sentences). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are noticeable and occur throughout the text. To reach a higher band, focus on proofreading for basic errors like pluralization and sentence-initial capitalization, and aim to use a wider variety of complex structures with greater accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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