Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12

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)

People have different views on life experience like to choose variety of foods, cloths and visiting to places according to their own interest. Some do not like to explore to that extent due to various reasons. This essay will examine both the opinion and write more detailed explanation in the coming paragraphs.

On the one hand, some individuals who are more keen to explore new cuisines, new branded cloths and visiting alien places would help them to learn several qualities and also help them to foster their acumen’s. For example, when someone visiting remote places to explore the variety without much aware of the difficulties living in such places would experience twist the other part of the world look like. Moreover, trying distinct food and cloths help one to comprehend significant of other culture and tradition. Additionally, this propensity help one to taste the variety since eating same recipes might be boring.

On the other hand, people who do not like to try new food , cloths or choose to visit unknown places have their own advantages. Firstly, they might not feel comfortable following other culture. For example, foreigner wearing Indian attire might not be certainly comfortable since they are used to modern clothing. Similarly, trying different food recipes might not suit to everyone, some will be expose to food position due to certain allergies. For instance, South Indians consume more of coconut but this cause allergies to most of North Indian.

To conclude, dispute a side, I personally believe that, people trying different

AI examiner evaluation

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

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, although the conclusion is incomplete, which leaves the opinion underdeveloped. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of cultural exposure versus the comfort of familiarity, but the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the example regarding 'food position' (likely meaning food poisoning) is unclear and lacks sufficient explanation to fully support the point. To reach a higher band, ensure that all arguments are fully extended and that the conclusion provides a clear, finished summary of your position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression is hindered by grammatical errors. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'dispute a side', which does not effectively link the final paragraph to the previous arguments. The essay ends abruptly mid-sentence, which negatively impacts the overall coherence and structure of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision. There are several instances of awkward word choices or incorrect collocations, such as 'visiting alien places' (instead of 'unfamiliar' or 'exotic'), 'acumen’s' (used incorrectly), and 'food position' (likely a misuse of 'food poisoning'). While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of control over more sophisticated vocabulary limits the score. To improve, focus on learning the correct collocations for common topics and ensure that words are used in their appropriate context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede readability. Examples include 'without much aware of' (should be 'without being aware of') and 'this propensity help one' (subject-verb agreement error). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While the meaning is usually clear, the high frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would significantly improve the clarity of your writing.

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

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