Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-21
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people think it's better to choose friends who always have the same opinions as them. Other people believe it's good to have friends who sometimes disagree with them.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Nowadays people perceive that an individual should choose a friend who always have the same opinion as them, while some think that this is great way to build friendship, other think this it is better to have a friend who sometimes disagree with their opinion. This essay will discusses both views and present my opinion.
On the one hand, some believe that having a friend who has the same opinion as them is better. This is due to the fact that people think those type of friends are always supportive to each other. In this type of friendship, both of them would have same wavelength, this lead to a better understanding among the two. For instances, a debate can be easily won by friends who has same opinion with other fellow friends.
On the other hand, others believe that developing friendship with a person who sometimes have different opinion than them is better. This is because some think that having different opinion can broaden their mindsets. Each of them can share information that are new to each other which enables them to understand different concepts effortlessly. This might have some drawbacks. While arguing with others, both of the wavelength might not align, so winning an argue might be difficult.
To sum up everything that has been stated so far, some believe having a friend with different opinion is better, from my perspective, i believe that having a friend with same opinion will be beneficial in long term and result in a meaningful friendship.
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 both views and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument that friends with the same opinion are better because they can 'win a debate' is a limited and slightly illogical justification for friendship. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the points discussed. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced examples and ensure your reasoning is more robust and clearly linked to the benefits of friendship rather than just winning arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to signal shifts in perspective. However, the transitions between sentences are sometimes mechanical, and the flow within paragraphs is occasionally disjointed. For example, the jump from discussing 'new information' to 'drawbacks' in the second body paragraph is abrupt. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one will enhance 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 repetitive phrasing, such as 'same opinion' and 'different opinion', which appear multiple times. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'winning an argue' instead of 'winning an argument'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and idiomatic expressions related to social dynamics and interpersonal relationships. Expanding your vocabulary will help you express your ideas with more nuance and variety.
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 distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'an individual should choose a friend who always have' (should have 'has') and 'friends who has' (should have 'have'). Additionally, there are errors with articles and pluralization, such as 'this is great way' (needs 'a') and 'information that are' (should be 'is'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text and prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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