Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-16

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 6.5)

People often draw comparisons between the quality of life spent across different timelines. It is often argued that in comparison to our ancestors, we are currently living in the best era. In this essay, I will explain why I agree with this belief and also describe a fascinating historical era, the 80s.

We are currently living in a time where constant, rapid technological developments are taking place. We witnessed the concept of Artificial Intelligence actually take am effective form. This tool helps people from every walk of life and can be calibrated as per each individuals personal needs. For example, back in the old days in order to learn a new skill, individuals would require to enroll in expensive physical classes. However, this is not the case now. AI can be effectively used to to learn any new skill from the comfort of home, without any additional cost. As a result, we are now finding it easier to develop new skills and use our time more effectively, helping us achieve our academic, professional and personal goals rather easily.

On the other hand, the 80s were also an interesting time to be in. During that era, the entertainment industry was thriving. Pop music was newly introduced and the concept of making short preview videos, gave rise to filming of proper music videos. There was so much originality in the entertainment industry during those days. If you observe, most of the popular music that is now being re-made is in fact from the 80s. Makes you wonder of how talented people were back then to produce such versatile unique entertainment content with limited resources. Additionally, the fashion industry was also in its boom. The sparkly sequin based garments were released specifically for use in pop music videos to complement the singers new upbeat style of music.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The candidate has fully addressed both parts of the prompt: they clearly stated their opinion that the present day is the best era due to technological advancements, and they also selected and described an interesting historical era, the 1980s, highlighting aspects such as music and fashion. The position is clear throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and well-supported, particularly with the comparison between past and present methods of skill acquisition. For instance, the contrast between physical classes and AI-assisted learning effectively illustrates the argument. Although some points regarding the 1980s could have been slightly more elaborated, the response comfortably covers all components required by the task prompt, demonstrating a strong understanding of the requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organization and progression throughout. It is divided into an introduction, a body paragraph supporting the main opinion, and a second body paragraph discussing the chosen historical era. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as "In this essay", "For example", and "Additionally". However, referencing and paragraph transitions could be slightly smoother in places, and some mechanical use of cohesive phrases is present, such as "On the other hand", which is not entirely accurate here since the second body paragraph introduces a secondary historical period rather than a counter-argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately overall, maintaining a clear overall structure from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The candidate demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, such as "constant, rapid technological developments", "calibrated as per each individual's personal needs", and "versatile unique entertainment content". Less common lexical items are attempted with adequate awareness of style and collocation, though there are minor inaccuracies like "take am effective form" (typographical error for an) and "requires to enroll" instead of "require enrollment" or "need to enroll". Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary choice is adequate for discussing both modern technology and 1980s pop culture, allowing the message to be communicated clearly and smoothly without major impediments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures. Examples of complex structures include "We are currently living in a time where constant, rapid technological developments are taking place" and "back in the old days in order to learn a new skill, individuals would require to enroll..." There are, however, some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as "quality of life spent across different timelines", "require to enroll", and "Makes you wonder of how talented". Punctuation is mostly adequate. While errors persist, they are relatively minor and rarely impede communication, reflecting the profile of a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance.

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