Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-18

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people spend most of their lives living close to where they were born.

What might be the reasons for this?

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 5.0)

A few people are emotionally attached to their hometown and they believe that to live nearby where they are from. This essay will discuss the purpose behind this, and explain the merits and demerits.

One of the major reason why some people live near to their birthplace is the strong attachment to their family and friends. Moreover, they have their family assests which needs to be taken care and they have financial stability. There are older people in their house who needs constant care.

There are plethora of benefits living close to the birthplace. Firstly, their familiarity with the local environment and lifestyle. Nowadays, it is difficult to adapt a new culture because people has born in a town with a different mindset and beliefs. As a result, they can feel homesick which can create stress and mental health problems. Country like India, where each state have distinct language, clothes and food.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the development of ideas. While the essay attempts to address the reasons, advantages, and disadvantages, the lack of length means these points are underdeveloped. For instance, the discussion on 'merits and demerits' is cut short, and the essay ends abruptly without a conclusion. To improve, you must expand on your points with specific examples and ensure you provide a balanced discussion for all parts of the prompt. Currently, the response is too brief to fully satisfy the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay uses basic cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Firstly' to link ideas, which provides a degree of logical flow. However, the paragraphing is inconsistent, and the abrupt ending suggests a lack of overall structure. The progression of ideas is hindered by the brevity of the text. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences and paragraphs more fluidly. The current structure is too mechanical and incomplete.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'financial stability' and 'hometown', but there are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'family assests' (assets) and 'adapt a new culture' (adapt to). The range is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more precise vocabulary to express complex ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'people has born' (people are born), 'each state have' (each state has), and 'needs to be taken care' (needs to be taken care of). The sentence structures are relatively simple, and there is a lack of complex grammatical forms. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage is noticeable. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures and proofreading for basic errors will help improve your score.

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

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