Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-15

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)

Most of the people love to live at their birthplace because they build a strong bond to that place and it is more convenient for them to spend their lives which they are used to live for years. However, there are various benefits as well negative aspects of this trend which I would discuss in this essay.

The one reason of spending life at our home town where we were born is the deep connection to our childhood friends and family members. For instance, by living close to their loved ones, people can share their problems and can gain assistance whenever they need. Likewise, they can enjoy and celebrate their success with those who truely admire their acheivements. The other cause of living near to the birthplace is the comfortable way of living in terms of language, customs, and culture of that place, as people are familiar to these rituals since their childhood and this make theirs lives easy.

There are several advantages of living at the same area where people were born including harmony, convenience, and understanding of language and customs. Despite all the comfort it provides, living at same place forever can cause detrimental effects on the success of people. For example, if people remain reluctant to move to other countries for better eductaion and further success in life then they would not be able to acheive their goals. Therefore, it is necessary for young people to move to other places for better job opportunities and better quality of life.

In conclusion, although people find it convenient to live at their birthplace, the success of life

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions by giving reasons for staying near one’s birthplace and discussing benefits and drawbacks. Family ties, familiarity with local customs, and the possibility of missing education or career opportunities are relevant points, and the example of seeking education elsewhere helps illustrate a disadvantage. However, the advantages are mostly listed rather than explained, and the discussion of disadvantages focuses mainly on personal success without exploring other possible costs. The introduction promises a discussion, but the conclusion is unfinished (“the success of life”), so your final position is not clearly completed. Develop each main point with a fuller explanation or example, and finish by summarising your view directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate body paragraphs and a concluding paragraph, and the ideas generally follow a sensible order. Linking expressions such as “For instance,” “Likewise,” and “Therefore” help show relationships between points. However, progression is weakened by repetition of the idea of living near one’s birthplace, and the third paragraph moves from listing advantages to discussing a disadvantage without a clear transition. Some connections are also awkward, such as “The one reason” followed by “The other cause.” Most importantly, the conclusion stops mid-thought, leaving the essay without a complete ending. Use clearer topic sentences and ensure each paragraph develops one main function before moving on.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “deep connection,” “assistance,” “detrimental effects,” and “job opportunities,” which allows you to discuss both the attractions and limitations of staying near home. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “build a strong bond to that place,” “comfortable way of living,” and “success of life.” Spelling errors such as “truely,” “acheivements,” and “eductaion” are noticeable and reduce the overall control of vocabulary. Aim for more natural combinations and check spelling carefully; precise, familiar expressions are more effective than formal-sounding phrases that do not fit the context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “as,” and “if,” and the main ideas are usually understandable. However, errors occur regularly in sentence construction and agreement. For example, “this make theirs lives easy” has problems with subject–verb agreement and pronoun form, while “people are familiar to these rituals” uses an incorrect grammatical pattern. The opening sentence is also difficult to control because several ideas are joined together, and the final sentence is incomplete. Work on accurate clause structure, articles and agreement, and proofread each sentence for a complete subject and verb. Shorter, well-controlled sentences can help you express the same ideas more clearly.

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

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