Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-30
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
News stories on TV and in newspapers are very often accompanied by pictures.
Some people say that these pictures are more effective than words.
What is your opinion about this?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Technology provides us with numerous thing to help us do our work easily and Tv and newspapers are one of those technology. These days most of the news stories and and newspapers present the information with pictures. Some people believe that pictures helps them understand the news properly and clearly then the words itself. According to my opinion, it is good idea to showcase the stories through pictures but sometimes words are more effect.
On the one hand side, news shows on the TV use the photos of the seen to deliver the things happening in the world, but still the shows the word bar in the bottom. For example, the Nepal flood news circling all over the social media and in the news, most of them are pictures and videos. It is easy to understand what the news is about without using any words. Same hand side, news regarding the traffic war going on between China and USA through pictures is easy to understand as well.
Moreover, most of the celebrities convey their messages through pictures, pictures are so trending these day. For instance, people use pictures of food, places, weather and so on on the social media to present their daily life. Furthermore, Pictures in the newspaper also helps understand the whole story . People always in rush so it is easy to look at the pictures and big heading on top help them understand everything fastly.
In conclusion, News stories on TV and in newspapers are very good idea to present through pictures. It is very effective then words.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing the effectiveness of pictures versus words in news. However, the development is somewhat superficial. While you provide examples like the Nepal floods and geopolitical tensions, the analysis remains brief and lacks depth. Your position is stated in the introduction, but it becomes slightly contradictory in the conclusion, where you state that pictures are 'very effective then words' without acknowledging the nuance you mentioned earlier regarding the necessity of words. To reach a higher band, ensure your arguments are fully extended and that your conclusion consistently reflects the position established in your introduction.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the flow of ideas. You use some cohesive devices like 'On the one hand side', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'Same hand side' to introduce a new point. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the logical progression between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus will help improve the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'things', 'good idea', and 'very effective'. There are also some word-choice errors, such as 'traffic war' (likely meaning 'trade war') and 'fastly' (which is not a standard adverb; 'quickly' or 'rapidly' would be better). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to media and communication, and focus on using more precise adjectives and adverbs to convey your meaning more effectively.
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 the flow. For example, 'pictures helps them' (subject-verb agreement), 'more effect' (should be 'more effective'), and 'the shows the word bar' (article and verb usage). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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