Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-27

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)

Many people believe that the 21'st Centaury is the best life humans have ever lived. While some argue that the ancient times were more productive and coherent.

On the one hand, ancient lives have contributed so much to our present generations. Our ancestors began the sustainable movement just to reserve resources for the upcoming generation. Agriculture, life expectancy, organic materials and better air quality were acquired by people in old times. For instance, my grandmother told me about how hardworking their generation was. Farming, travelling, household chores, study and earning were taught in the early age at that time.

On the other hand, the current population has a very low life expectancy with ample amount of air pollution, processed food, low standard of living than what was before. Few days ago, I saw my younger sister struggling to make decent food which is quite basic for survival. Although, she is smarter with technology, one of the reasons why she's wearing glasses at her 20's.

Considering all the factors, I strongly believe that our history has given us so much to learn and cherish. As a result, not only we have better standard of living but also the innovations and great personalities, we still read in our history books. Living in 90's would have been a blessing for so many of us.

In conclusion, while historical time did offered several benefits, it is important to acknowledge the current progress we have made altogether. Attaining a sustainable approach can benefit our coming generations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, but the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you discuss the current era and the past, the arguments are often contradictory or lack logical support. For example, you claim the current era has 'low life expectancy' and 'processed food' as a negative, but then argue in the conclusion that we have made 'current progress'. The connection between your personal example of your sister and the broader topic of historical comparison is weak. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout and provide more robust, objective evidence rather than anecdotal observations that do not fully support your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression within paragraphs is often disjointed. For instance, the second paragraph starts by praising ancestors but then jumps to a list of skills without a clear link. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion', but they are sometimes used mechanically or inappropriately, such as the sentence fragment 'While some argue that the ancient times were more productive and coherent.' Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors. Phrases like 'best life humans have ever lived' and 'sustainable movement' are used in ways that do not quite fit the context. There are also spelling errors, such as 'Centaury' instead of 'Century' and '20's' instead of '20s'. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the lack of precision limits your ability to express complex ideas clearly. Expanding your range of collocations and focusing on accurate spelling will help you reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'historical time did offered' (incorrect verb tense), 'at her 20's' (incorrect preposition), and 'not only we have' (incorrect word order for 'not only... but also' construction). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and apostrophes. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct structure of correlative conjunctions. Reducing the frequency of these errors is essential for moving into the higher band scores.

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

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