Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-06

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)

Nowadays many people argue that it is best time in history to be living. I do agree with this statement.

First and foremost reason why I do agree with this statement is because of convenience. In the past people had not had any fast options to travel. For instance, in the past if people need to travel to another country they have to go by sea and it took up to 8 weeks to reach to India from the UK. Thus, nowadays it is more time saving and convenience.

Secondly, the technology has changed the whole world. People can connect to other people from anywhere in the planet at a real time. For example, an international student can make a video call to his parents can see their face. However, in the past all communication was depend on the letters. Hence, people can take care of their loved ones at any time thanks to the technology.

If I had to choose any other time than this than I would select the year of 1500. In that people human history made tremendous architects and it is still consider as the golden time of the infrastructures. Many world famous buildings were built during that time such as Eiffel tower and Taj Mahal and many more.

Although in this technology time people are less connected with emotions, in the past old people were more emotionally connected.

In conclusion, I do firmly believe that current time is great because of convenient. Which was hardly possible in the past.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the opinion on the current era and the choice of a historical period. However, the development is uneven. While the arguments for the current era (convenience and technology) are clear, the second part regarding the year 1500 is underdeveloped and contains factual inaccuracies, such as citing the Eiffel Tower as a 16th-century structure. The position is consistent, but the supporting examples lack depth and precision. To improve, ensure that historical references are accurate and provide more detailed explanations for your choices rather than listing them briefly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First and foremost', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion', but they are sometimes used mechanically or incorrectly (e.g., 'Thus, nowadays it is more time saving and convenience'). Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the transition between the two main parts of the prompt could be smoother. Paragraphing is present, but the final body paragraph is very short and lacks a clear link to the previous arguments, making the overall structure feel slightly disjointed.

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 several instances of word-choice errors, such as using 'convenience' as an adjective instead of 'convenient', and 'architects' when referring to architecture. Phrases like 'anywhere in the planet' should be 'anywhere on the planet'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and the persistent errors in word form limit the score. Expanding your range of collocations and focusing on accurate word forms would significantly improve your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'it is best time' (missing article), 'people had not had any fast options' (incorrect tense), and 'all communication was depend on' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage throughout. While the meaning is usually conveyed, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for tense consistency is recommended.

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

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