Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people say that now is the best time in history to be living.
What is your opinion about this?
What other time in history would be interesting to live in?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Some people say that now is the best time in history to be living. I strongly disagree with that statement because there are different parts of society that are needs to look out before making a statement that this is the best time to live.
To begin with, I am not agreeing with it because nowadays even though the live is quite easy because of fast face environment due to AI and modern technology innovation. It has it's own downside. Based on the studies from different sources. The AI Data Center need to consume a lot of water that Is not ideal for each countries for the long run.
Moreover, in this generation they do not have enough time to enjoy there live because they started to compare there self more based on the social medias influence. This can cause frustration and also this would lead with unsatisfied life preferences.
If I have given me a time to choose what is the best era to live in. I would choose to start my youth from the year 1920's . So that every moment or spare time is shared with love ones and not looking on each of everyones phone. and also they will make you feel no pressure and more focus on personal growth.
In conclusion, I firmly believe that the best time in history to live in is 1920s because they can enjoy there moment with there family and friends and also not thinking that after few decades they will experience of losing a lot of water resources in the entire world.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the opinion on whether today is the best time to live and the suggestion of an alternative era. However, the development of ideas is limited. The argument regarding AI and water consumption is somewhat tangential to the broader question of whether today is the 'best' time, and the discussion on social media lacks specific examples or depth. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments are under-developed and rely on generalisations. To improve, you should provide more concrete evidence or logical reasoning to support your claims about why the 1920s would be superior beyond just social media usage.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'To begin with' and 'Moreover' are used, but the transitions between sentences within paragraphs are sometimes disjointed. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'this would lead with unsatisfied life preferences'. The progression of ideas is present but lacks a smooth flow, and the connection between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be more logically integrated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'fast face environment' (likely meaning 'fast-paced'), 'there live' (instead of 'their lives'), and 'there self' (instead of 'themselves'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. To achieve a higher score, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that common words like 'their' and 'there' are used correctly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('The AI Data Center need'), incorrect verb forms ('If I have given me a time'), and punctuation errors. The misuse of 'there' versus 'their' is persistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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