Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-16

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)

In contemporary society, the colors are starting to fade away from our lives. A substantial number of individuals opt for less colors. The same goes with the news stories. They occasionally tend to use pictures for the news. However, some people believe that pictures attract reader or viewers more. Before stating my opinion, this essay will analyze whether using pictures for news is more effective than words or not.

In recent years, there is a shift in news stories. Previously, it has been seen that the newspaper had a number of pictures for a news story. Even sometimes they dedicated a complete page for pictures of certain event. Now we observed that, the news stories lack pictures. There is hardly any picture associated with the news or articles. For instance, when I was a child and didn't know how to read. I waited for the newspaper so that I can see the pictures and spent hours looking at them. The same approach is adopted by TV. Most of the times there is no picture or a video of the incident they are reporting about.

However, a significant number of people believe that pictures are more effective than just words. Pictures help reader to understand the news better and attract him. Sometimes it is very difficult for a reader to just read a lot and pictures give him strenght to read and understand better. It is believed that sometimes it is a picture that compel a reader to read a story. Furthermore, children are more attractive towards colorful pictures which is why we introduce them picture books first.

From my perspective, pictures attract people more even a person does not know how to read, he may have an idea about the news by looking at the pictures. Jounalism should not be boring and dry. They must have the ability to attract their audience and one of the most effective way is to present the news along with pictures.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear opinion in the final paragraph: pictures can attract people, including those who cannot read, and you support this with the example of children and picture books. However, the response only partly addresses the comparison in the prompt. The opening says the essay will analyse whether pictures are more effective, but much of the second paragraph discusses an alleged decline in pictures in newspapers and on television, rather than comparing the effectiveness of images and words. Your reasons about attracting readers and helping them understand are relevant, but they are asserted more than explained. Develop the comparison by showing what pictures communicate well and what written reporting can explain more precisely, then support your view with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has recognisable paragraphs and a basic sequence from introduction to background, supporting reasons, and opinion. Linking expressions such as “However” and “Furthermore” help signal relationships between points. Nevertheless, progression is uneven: the paragraph beginning “In recent years” shifts to a claim about news using fewer pictures, which does not clearly advance the central comparison. The introduction also promises an analysis, while the conclusion gives a position without drawing together the main reasons. Some connections are awkward or unclear, as in “From my perspective, pictures attract people more even a person does not know how to read.” Organise the body around distinct reasons for your view, and use clearer transitions and references to connect each example to the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “news stories,” “audience,” “attract,” and “picture books,” and you attempt more formal expressions such as “a substantial number” and “effective.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural, which makes parts of the argument less precise. For example, “opt for less colors” is unclear in this context, “attract reader or viewers” needs more accurate phrasing, and “children are more attractive towards colorful pictures” does not express the intended meaning naturally. There are also spelling errors, including “strenght” and “Jounalism.” Build a more precise vocabulary for comparing images with written reporting, and check spelling and common word partnerships during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “which is why we introduce them picture books first” and a conditional idea about people who cannot read. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and tense recur. Examples include “the newspaper had a number of pictures for a news story,” “when I was a child and didn't know how to read. I waited,” and “one of the most effective way.” The sentence beginning “From my perspective” also joins ideas without a clear grammatical connection. These problems sometimes make the reader pause, although the main meaning is generally recoverable. Practise complete sentence boundaries, subject–verb agreement, and consistent tense, then proofread each sentence for articles and plural forms.

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