Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-15
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)
In this modern era, people become upgraded and smart. some like to try different food with and new places to visit and explore different countries but others like to do the same things they are comfortable and familiar with. In my opinion it is a positive attitude of people towards new things which is a source of adventure and knowledge as well.
On the one hand, some people always into exploring different countries or new places and try varieties of food there which becomes an adventure for some people to create new memories and a source to get knowledge about different cultures. For example, there are many historic places in India to visit such as Taj mahal, Red fort, Golden temple and many more. people read in books and see in the movies about all these places which attracts them to explore different places. In addition, there are a lot of options in fast food variety. people love to try south Indian dishes and chinese food which fascinate them with new tastes.
On the other hand, some people like to visit the same places they are familiar with because they feel attached to that locations and love to remind their beautiful memories from that places. Moreover, some people stick to the same food because they like some tastes of food which they prefer to have. For instance, Some people like South movies most and some like korean dramas because they get attracted with that places and their culture due to which they always prefer to visit their favourite places.
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 in the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention examples like the Taj Mahal or specific food types, the explanation of why people prefer familiarity is quite brief and repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the underlying reasons for these attitudes—for example, discussing the psychological comfort of routine versus the intellectual growth gained from new experiences. The conclusion is missing, which is a significant omission for a balanced discussion task. Ensure you provide a summary or a final thought to round off your argument.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between sentences could be smoother. Some referencing is unclear; for instance, in the final paragraph, the link between 'South movies' and 'korean dramas' and the preference for visiting familiar places is not logically connected. Improving the use of cohesive devices to link ideas more naturally would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific words like 'adventure', 'cultures', and 'fascinate'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward word choices or collocations, such as 'people become upgraded and smart' or 'remind their beautiful memories'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations. Avoid repeating simple words like 'places' and 'things' frequently; instead, use synonyms or more descriptive nouns to demonstrate a wider lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'some people always into exploring'), missing articles (e.g., 'in the movies'), and incorrect preposition usage (e.g., 'remind their beautiful memories from that places'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization of proper nouns like 'Taj Mahal' and 'Chinese'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit your score. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for small errors will help significantly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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