Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-26

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)

Having adventerous and spontaneous attitude facilitate an individual in making new friends. Many people prefer to try new things while others like to stick to their old routine.Both the aforementioned views along with my opinion will be discussed below.

Firstly, extroverts mostly prefer innovation and adventure. Thus, sticking to a particular destination to visit or choosing a similar dish everytime feels monotonous to them. Moreover, people who like to try new things carries attitude to explore things

Secondly, people that prefer to stick to familiar things are more stringent and rigid about the choices they make. Therefore,they take every decision monotonously. More so, these individuals are afraid that if they will choose something unfamiliar, it might not work for them and they might end up wasting their finances on either food or any trip.

In my perception, sticking to the same food or same places to visit everytime makes a person's life tedious. One should always try new things as it will assist individuals to get to know about new things. For instance , people who try distinct cuisines including chinese, mexican, italian and indian have much more knowledge in context of food than those who prefer same cuisines.

In conclusion, it is an individual's personal choice to whether try new things or stick to older ones. However, according to me, it is beneficial to try new ones as people will get exposure and knowledge,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both attitudes and state a clear preference for trying new things, especially in the paragraph beginning “In my perception.” The cuisine example also supports your view. However, the discussion of people who prefer familiar choices is brief and relies mainly on the idea that they are “stringent and rigid” or fear wasting money; it would be stronger with a balanced, specific reason, such as valuing comfort or predictability. The first view is also only partly explained, and the opening claim about making new friends is not developed later. The response is 15 words below the required minimum, so there is limited space for developing these points. Add explanation and a relevant example for each attitude.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two attitudes, your opinion, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the main stages. However, some links feel mechanical, and progression within paragraphs is uneven. For example, the opening claim about making new friends is not connected to the later discussion, while “Moreover” introduces an incomplete thought. The conclusion repeats your preference but does not fully draw together the two perspectives. Use clearer links between each reason and its explanation, and ensure every paragraph develops one central point. This would make the organisation more consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “monotonous,” “unfamiliar,” “finances,” “cuisines,” and “exposure.” These choices help communicate the contrast between novelty and routine. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “adventerous,” “carries attitude,” “take every decision monotonously,” and “in context of food.” Spelling errors such as “everytime” and “chinese” also reduce accuracy. Some terms, including “stringent and rigid,” are stronger than the point requires and make the description sound overly judgemental. Aim for precise, natural combinations and check spelling; for example, describe people as “open to exploring” or “prefer familiar options.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including cause-and-effect structures with “Thus” and “Therefore,” and a conditional idea beginning “if they will choose.” Meaning is generally understandable, but errors occur in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “people who like to try new things carries” should use a plural verb, and “if they will choose” needs a more suitable conditional form. The sentence ending “explore things” is incomplete, and “it is an individual's personal choice to whether” has an incorrect structure. Punctuation spacing is also inconsistent. Practise accurate conditional sentences and check that each sentence has a complete clause and correctly matched subject and verb.

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