Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-02

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)

Many people think it is better to select friends who always have the same opinions as them. However, other people believe it is good to have friends who occasionally disagrees with them. This essay will discuss why choosing friends who share the same opinion as you and friends who sometimes disagrees with you. In my own opinion, having friends who disagrees with you helps to advance in learning.

Firstly, mates who shares the same mindset tends to bond well more than those who don't. This happens when mates who grew up in the same environment, attend the same school and share some experiences together have a way of thinking alike. During the friendship bond, there are less conflicts and everyone lives in harmony. Although such friendship could cause restriction in knowledge. For instance, my classmate and her buddy had a lasting relationship due to they have the same opinion about friendship.

Secondly, those who believe having a buddy who sometimes disagrees with you do that because of the benefits. One of the benefits is the advancement in knowledge. There would sharing of different opinions and experience which improve learning ability and not restriction. Views are shared and acknowledged, and a good outcome is achieved. However, these could lead to conflict or override by some mates. For example, some friends argued on fashion shows and found out that they are both right but from different views.

In conclusion, friends who have the same opinion and mates who sometimes disagree are both good. Friends with the same opinion restrict knowledge while friends who sometimes disagree does not.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a clear preference: friends who disagree can help people learn. The first body paragraph explains how shared experiences can create harmony, while the second identifies learning as a benefit of differing opinions; these are relevant responses to the task. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The example about your classmate and her buddy does not clearly show how their shared opinions affected their friendship, and the fashion-show example is brief and does not explain what was learned. The conclusion also says both types of friendship are good but does not restate your preference clearly. Develop each example and explain more fully why disagreement can be constructive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted by “Firstly” and “Secondly,” and a conclusion. This makes the two views easy to identify. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the first paragraph moves from shared backgrounds to harmony and then to restricted knowledge without fully connecting these points. Some linking is mechanical, and references such as “these” in “However, these could lead to conflict” are not precise. The conclusion is also very brief and does not clearly connect back to your stated opinion. Use clearer links between each claim and its explanation, and make pronouns refer unmistakably to a specific idea.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “mindset,” “conflicts,” “advancement in knowledge,” and “different opinions.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and some expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “restriction in knowledge,” “lasting relationship due to they have,” and “override by some mates.” “Mates” and “buddy” are also repeated and can sound informal or inconsistent in an essay. Aim for more precise collocations and vary terms such as “friends” with suitable alternatives. Check that each phrase expresses the intended relationship between ideas, especially when describing the drawbacks of disagreement.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a concession beginning “Although” and a relative clause in “mates who grew up in the same environment.” However, errors occur frequently, particularly with subject–verb agreement and sentence construction. Examples include “friends who occasionally disagrees,” “mates who shares,” and “friends who sometimes disagree does not”; the verbs should agree with the plural subjects. The sentence “This essay will discuss why choosing friends…” is incomplete in meaning because it does not state what will be discussed. There are also faulty patterns such as “due to they have” and “There would sharing.” Practise building complete clauses and checking agreement before adding complex structures.

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