Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-30

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)

Friends makes our life memorable but it is also important what quality of allies we have in our life. There are pros and cons of the companions who has same opinion as us and the buddies who has different point of view but it depends on us what we like to choose. Sometimes we feel it is better to have mates who agree with us say yes in every thing we like to do but it is not always correct you might lose some things or might be in trouble if everything goes wrong .If you are not right and he agress with you just because you are his friend then it can cause trouble to you and your friend both.

While on the other hand someone thinks it's better to have friends with different opinion because they guides us on the right path rather than misleading us on wrong path. Adittionaly i would like to say that from my experience i have seen friends with different opinion are better .Once i was applying for my Driving License exams in RTO Ahmedabad while i residing at Gandhinagar but in my mind i thought that it would be okay because they both are in Gujarat and i am allowed to give my license test anywhere here. And then i also suggested one of my friend to give his exams in Ahmedabad although he lived in different city .I was so stubborn that i wanted him to agree with me but on the contrary he said no clearly and said that you are wrong we are not allowed to give exams outside our city . I totally opposed him and did other of what he said and as a result i was denied to give my exams .Then i appologized him and that's when i came to realize sometimes it better to have allies who have different opinions .

My suggestion is that its better to have people with Different opinions in our life rather then being with people who always say yes in whatever situation we are in .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on friendship and providing a clear personal opinion. The writer presents relevant ideas, such as how agreeable friends might enable poor decisions, whereas dissenting friends can act as a guiding force. For instance, the personal anecdote about the driving license exam effectively illustrates the stance that different opinions are beneficial. However, some ideas remain slightly underdeveloped or rely heavily on generalisations, preventing the response from reaching a higher level. The discussion could benefit from further expansion on why individuals might initially prefer friends with identical opinions, rather than focusing predominantly on the benefits of disagreement. Nevertheless, a clear position is maintained throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate the different viewpoints and personal examples, although the transition between ideas can occasionally feel mechanical. Cohesive devices such as 'While on the other hand', 'Adittionaly', and 'As a result' are employed to connect clauses and sentences, though referencing is sometimes imprecise, as seen with ambiguous pronoun usage ('it could cause trouble to you and your friend both'). Progression is present, but the logical flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by repetitive phrasing and minor structural disconnects. To progress further, the writer should ensure smoother transitions between personal anecdotes and general arguments, and utilise a wider, more natural variety of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the writer's meaning despite noticeable limitations. The response demonstrates attempts at less common lexical items related to relationships and decision-making, such as 'companions', 'stubborn', and 'allies'. However, there are frequent word-choice and spelling errors that affect precision, including 'agress' instead of agree, 'Adittionaly', and 'appologized'. The register is generally appropriate for a semi-formal essay, but relies heavily on basic vocabulary and repetitive phrasing, such as repeatedly using 'different opinion' and 'allies'. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to expand their lexical repertoire, improve spelling accuracy, and demonstrate more precise control over collocations and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting complex structures like conditional clauses and relative pronouns, as seen in 'if everything goes wrong' and 'people who always say yes'. However, attempts at complex sentences are frequently marred by grammatical errors, punctuation lapses, and run-on sentences. For example, run-on structures are evident in sentences like 'Sometimes we feel it is better to have mates who agree with us say yes in every thing we like to do but it is not always correct...'. Errors in verb agreement, such as 'Friends makes our life memorable' and 'companions who has same opinion', are present throughout. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, their frequency causes occasional difficulty for the reader and restricts the grammar score.

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