Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-29
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)
It is believed by some people that today's era is the best time to live, whereas others say old time was good enough to live. This essay shall discuss pros and cons of both the times. I personally, feel today's time is the best one.
On the one hand, there are many reasons why now is the best time to be living because the facilities which are available nowadays were not present in the history. Today we can save our time while using modern technologies to complete various tasks. Also, now we are more independent due to what we have. For example, we can order food from our house by just clicking apps, we can send money to any part of the world or watch our children what they are doing at home, are they safe by just installing cameras.
On the other hand, the interesting time in history to live is the time when there was no technology. People had more time for their families and friends. In addition, there would be less health related diseases. For instance, if there is no internet, people would go out with their loved ones instead of spending time while using technology gadgets. Similarly, they can go for walk, running or other good health benefit activities if they have nothing to do in their free time because today their leisure time is eaten by phone, internet, television.
In conclusion, although today is the best time to be living, there is certain time period in the history where people would love to live.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| 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 identification of another interesting historical period. However, the development is somewhat limited. While you provide examples for the first part, the second part regarding the 'interesting time in history' is vague, as you refer to a generic 'time when there was no technology' rather than a specific historical era. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete, specific examples of historical periods and explain why they would be interesting, rather than focusing solely on the absence of technology.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In addition' to link your points. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the transition between your personal opinion and the historical discussion is more seamless. The paragraphing is appropriate, which helps the reader follow your argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on common phrases like 'best time', 'good enough', and 'various tasks'. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'leisure time is eaten by phone', which is not natural English. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that are relevant to the topic of historical eras and modern technological advancements. Avoid repeating simple words and focus on using more precise terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'old time was good enough' (should be 'the old days' or 'past eras') and 'watch our children what they are doing' (should be 'watch what our children are doing'). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct structure of complex sentences. The errors present do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.