Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-20

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 5.5)

some people decide to live majority of their lives close to where they were born. This is because it provides them with familiarity and comfort. we will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages in the following paragraphs.

There is a plethora of reason but the foremost reason is that, it provides people with familiarity and comfort. For instance, you already know most of the people, shops and places to visit which not only give you comfort but allows you to live freely without stressing about minute things.

on the one hand, there are numerous advantages. First, it makes you feel that you belong here. For example when you talk to anyone nearby you always have something similar that gives you the feeling of belonging. Second, it provides with happiness by cherishing their childhood memories.

However, there are few drawbacks. one of the main disadvantage is that when you get too comfortable in that environment you miss the opportunity of exploring different culture, places and people. Furthermore, this restricts their growth and

To Sum up, the advantages outweighs the drawbacks. People spending most of their lives living near the place you were born because it give people the comfort and sense of belonging which make the, enjoy their live feely without been stress. Unfortunately, this narrows down their opportunity of exploring different things which can restrict their growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for staying in one's birthplace and discussing both advantages and disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is limited, and the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which negatively impacts the depth of the response. The final paragraph is incomplete, as the sentence 'Furthermore, this restricts their growth and' is left hanging, and the conclusion contains several grammatical errors that obscure the final summary. To improve, you must expand on your points with more detailed examples and ensure the essay meets the required length to allow for full development of your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the transition 'on the one hand' which is not followed by a balanced 'on the other hand' structure. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where pronouns like 'they' and 'their' are used inconsistently. The flow between sentences is occasionally disrupted by grammatical errors, making the progression of ideas feel disjointed at times. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will help create a smoother, more logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'comfort', 'happiness', and 'drawbacks'. There are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'give people the comfort... which make the, enjoy their live feely without been stress'. These errors, while not always impeding communication, show a lack of control over more complex lexical items. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to migration, community, and personal development, and pay closer attention to word forms and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and sentence construction. Examples include 'there is a plethora of reason' (should be plural), 'it provides with happiness' (missing object), and 'the advantages outweighs' (subject-verb agreement). Additionally, there are issues with capitalization at the start of sentences and incomplete thoughts. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors across different structures prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and sentence completion is essential.

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

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