Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-01

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)

Nowadays, many people prefer to explore new things, like food and new places. While others like to do the same old thing. In my opinion, trying out new things is always a better option because new experiences make one fearless and confident.

In recent times, many people want to try new foods and visit new places because it gives them a new experience. In my opinion, this is the right way to live because when someone tries new things, they have to bear a new set of challenges that come with it. The human brain develops strategies to make oneself comfortable with the new situa tion. This exercise makes people confident, and they are not afraid to try anything new. For instance, two groups of people were observed in China; one travelled to a totally unfamiliar place with mountains and beaches for ten days. The other group travelled to the same old resort in China where they have been many times. At the end of the study, people who went to the unfamiliar place were content, confident and enjoyed the experience. The latter group were bored because it was not anything new.

In contrast to this, some people do not prefer to try new things because they are afraid of the difficulties that can come with it. One of the reason is when people try out new foods they are not familiar of the ingredients and are afraid of allergy to new food. Certainly, this can cause serious health problems so, many people avoid new food. On the other hand, visiting new places can lead to unwanted circumstances that people are not prepared for. It can bring stress and anxiety therefore, people tend to avoid new places.

In conclusion, many indiviuals like to try new foods and visit new places, while others do not want to escape their comfort zone, and stick to same foods and places. In my view, trying out new things broughts different experience, and builds confidence amom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both attitudes towards new experiences versus familiarity, and a clear position is presented from the introduction. However, some ideas are developed more fully than others. For instance, the discussion on why people prefer familiar routines and avoid new foods or places in the third paragraph is somewhat limited and relies on general assertions rather than thorough extension. The example provided about the two groups in China is relevant, but overall, the support for the main ideas tends to over-generalize. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to extend and support all arguments more deeply with robust explanations and fully realized examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, the two body viewpoints, and the conclusion logically. However, cohesion at times feels mechanical or faulty. For example, transitional phrases like 'In contrast to this' and 'On the other hand' are used, but referencing across sentences is not always clear, leading to a mild disruption in the natural progression of ideas. Additionally, the conclusion is incomplete, trailing off at the end ('amom'), which affects the overall sense of logical flow. To improve, the writer should ensure that cohesive devices connect sentences smoothly without feeling repetitive and that all paragraphs are brought to a fully resolved finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the main ideas regarding travel, food, and personal comfort zones. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'unfamiliar', 'circumstances', and 'comfort zone', but these attempts are occasionally accompanied by inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'familiar of' instead of 'familiar with'. There are also some spelling and word-form errors, including 'indiviuals' and 'broughts', alongside the truncated ending in the final sentence. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they highlight the need for greater precision. Expanding the range of idiomatic phrases and ensuring correct word formation will help elevate the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to use varied structures through clauses introduced by 'when', 'while', and 'because'. However, there are noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text. Examples include missing articles and pluralization errors, such as 'One of the reason' instead of 'One of the reasons', and hyphenation or spacing issues like 'situa tion'. While these grammatical lapses rarely impede overall comprehension, they persist across the text. To achieve a higher level, the writer should produce more error-free sentences using complex structures and carefully proofread to eliminate basic agreement and prepositional errors.

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