Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-11

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)

In contemporary society, having a loyal friend is a blessing in disguise. An individual must have somebody with whom he can share his problems, his delighted moments, and lighten his burden. A person cannot choose his family but he can choose his friend. In this essay I will talk about whether you choose a friend who always agree with you or someone with whom you have difference of opinion.

The majority thinks a friend should be the one who always supports you, guides you, listens to you, and gives you advice whenever you are in trouble. In addition, has the same opinion as your. For instance, if you and your friend having a discussion over a topic you always want to listen from him whatever you feel is right. However this is not a sign of a healthy relationship. May be on some occasions you both thinks alike but this is not possible every time.

On the other hand, a considerable number of people agree to this point that everyone has different opinion and considering this they respect each other opinion. Because everyone thinks in different capacity. Moreover, one should not impose his thought on others. Mutual respect is everything even you have a difference of opinion with your closed one. For instance, if you are in a gathering of people with your friend and your friend express his opinion and that opinion is different than yours then you must respect his opinion rather than being offended.

From my perspective, having a difference of opinion is beneficial for a healthy relation with a friend. Today when everyone is trying to pull down each other having a faithful friend is a blessing irrespective of difference in opinion. Because if a friend is not giving you his opinion and always agrees with you it a sign that he is not your true friend and he does not want see you prosper.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument for having friends with similar opinions is briefly mentioned but lacks depth, relying on general statements rather than specific, well-supported reasoning. The conclusion is clear, but the explanation of why disagreement is beneficial could be more nuanced. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your points with more detailed examples or logical consequences, ensuring that the discussion feels balanced and thoroughly explored throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'However', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly repetitive. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is clear, but the flow within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to show more sophisticated relationships between ideas. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, but the cohesion lacks the flexibility required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'blessing in disguise' and 'mutual respect' effectively. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'thinks in different capacity' and 'closed one' (which should be 'close friend'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication needed for a higher score. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repeating basic words like 'opinion' and 'friend'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'you both thinks alike', 'friend express his opinion') and article usage. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'the majority thinks a friend should be the one who always supports you'. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures and proofreading for basic agreement errors would significantly improve your score.

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