Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay on Living Alone: Task Response Issues
Sample Answer with Feedback

📅 Published May 2026⏱️ 40 minutes recommended📝 149 words · Band 5.5
This Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 essay discusses the topic of living alone, highlighting both advantages and disadvantages. However, it suffers from insufficient task response, lacking depth in exploring the negatives like loneliness and financial difficulties. Learn how to enhance your argument and meet the required word count.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question

Agree/ Disagree (Opinion) · Living Alone · 40 min


In some countries, more and more people are opting to live alone these days than before. Do you think this is a positive or negative development? 

Write at least 250 words.



5.5Band

Overall Band Score

149 words · Agree/ Disagree (Opinion) · AI Evaluated

4
Task Response
6
Grammar
6
Vocabulary
6
Coherence

Score Breakdown

IELTS Writing Band Scores (1–9)

Overall Band Score
5.5
Task Response
4
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
6
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
6
Coherence & Cohesion
6

Summary: The essay falls significantly short of the required word count (149 words vs. required 250 words), negatively impacting the Task Response score. While the writer introduces some valid points about living alone, the argument is incomplete and lacks sufficient development.

Now write your own — and see how your verdict holds up.

Submit your Living Alone essay and receive AI scores across Task Response, Coherence, Lexical Resource, and Grammar — plus a Band 9 model answer for your exact question.

Student Answer
Real submission • 149 words • Annotated
149 wordsBand 5.5WritingPart2
● Spelling● Grammar● Vocabulary

Nowadays, in many countries, morte and more people are choosing to live alone instead of live with their families or roommates. While this trend has several advantages, I believe it is mostly a negative development because it can lead to loneliness and financial problems.

On the one hand, living alone can be beneficial in several ways. Firstly, people who live independently have more freedom to organize their daily routines and make personal decisions without interference from others. They can choose their own lifestyle, working schedule, and household rules according to their preferences. As a result, many individuals become more responsible and self dependent. Secondly, living alone often provides a quiet and peaceful environment. This can help students and workers focus more effectively on their studies or carrers. For intance, many young professionals prefer living alone in large cities because it allows them to concentrate fully on achieving their goals.

AI Feedback Report Details

Spelling · Grammar · Vocabulary · Criteria Analysis

Spelling Mistakes

4 errors
Misspelled WordCorrected Word
mortemore
carrerscareers
intanceinstance
self dependentself-dependent

Grammatical Mistakes

1 errors
MistakeCorrectionExplanation
instead of live with their familiesinstead of living with their familiesParallel structure: 'choosing' requires gerund form 'living'

Ready to practise? Get instant AI feedback on your verdict.

Submit your Living Alone essay and receive AI scores across all four IELTS criteria — with specific feedback on whether your solutions are specific, realistic, and matched to your problems.

Detailed Criteria Feedback

AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion

Task Response4
Evaluation
The essay addresses the topic but does not fully develop the argument. It lacks depth and breadth in exploring the negative aspects of living alone.
Examples
The writer mentions loneliness and financial problems as negatives but does not elaborate on these points.
How to Improve
Fully develop both the positive and negative aspects of living alone to provide a balanced argument. Ensure the essay meets the minimum word count by expanding on all points introduced.
Coherence & Cohesion6
Evaluation
The essay is logically organized with clear paragraph structure. The main ideas are presented but require further linking and development.
Examples
There is a clear distinction between the benefits and drawbacks of living alone.
How to Improve
Use more linking words to improve the flow between ideas. Expand on each point to enhance coherence throughout the essay.
Lexical Resource6
Evaluation
The lexical resource is adequate with a range of vocabulary used appropriately.
Examples
Words such as 'responsible', 'independently', and 'preferences' are used correctly.
How to Improve
Incorporate a wider variety of vocabulary to express ideas more precisely and effectively. Explore synonyms and related words to avoid repetition.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy6
Evaluation
The grammatical range is sufficient, with generally accurate sentences, but minor errors are present.
Examples
There is a subject-verb agreement error in 'live alone instead of live with'.
How to Improve
Proofread to eliminate minor errors. Focus on complex sentence structures to demonstrate a wider range of grammatical skills.
💡
Tip: Review the Band 9 model answer to see how a high-scoring essay structures arguments, uses advanced vocabulary, and maintains coherence throughout.

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