Band 5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay on Video Games: Depth and Coherence Issues
Sample Answer with Feedback

πŸ“… Published Mar 2026⏱️ 40 minutes recommendedπŸ“ 315 words Β· Band 5
This Band 5 IELTS essay discusses the impact of video games, noting its entertainment value but struggling with depth and coherence. Key areas for improvement include enhancing argument development and using cohesive transitions effectively.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question

Agree/ Disagree (Opinion) Β· Video games Β· 40 min

Video games are seen by some as a harmless form of entertainment, or even a useful way to learn new skills. However, others argue that video games have a negative impact on the people who play them. In your opinion, do the drawbacks of video games outweigh the benefits?

Write at least 250 words.



5Band

Overall Band Score

315 words Β· Agree/ Disagree (Opinion) Β· AI Evaluated

5
Task Response
4.5
Grammar
5
Vocabulary
5
Coherence

Score Breakdown

IELTS Writing Band Scores (1–9)

Overall Band Score
5
Task Response
5
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
4.5
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
5
Coherence & Cohesion
5

Summary: The essay addresses the topic and meets the word count requirement (315 words). However, it lacks depth in argument development, has coherence issues, limited vocabulary, and frequent grammatical errors, resulting in an overall Band 5.0 performance.

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Student Answer
Real submission β€’ 315 words β€’ Annotated
315 wordsβ€’Band 5β€’WritingPart2
● Spelling● Grammar● Vocabulary

Video games have many importance in ones life, video games can help one relive there tension or stress, video games can be used as a way to pass time when on is free from work or school. People see that video games are a good form of entertainment and even a way for one to develop skills, however some people have the mentality that video games are bad for people who play them. In this essay im going to shade light on how video games are useful tool to us.

To begin with, video games can help one escape stress. In the modern day, a lot of people pass through stress maybe because someone are making there lives miserable ,video games helps one to overcome the stress and be relaxed then allowing him or her to think strategic on how to solve the issue and not to make a decision with dire consequences.

Additionally, video games helps one to earn some amount of money and make a living. modern days" title="Correction: In these modern days">In this modern days people like ishowspeed stream there content in youtube by playing games online and get subscription from people around the world earning them a lot of money hence enabling them to make a living with it thus increasing there living standards. This also creates entertainment to the viewers who are watching making it a win win situation.

On the other hand, video games can be harmful to people where by it takes most of there time. One can procrastinate an activity that he or she planned to do due to the video games. Another disadvantage is where by the person plays video game to much that drains the social skills, making him or her to be an introvert and afraid to meet people.

In conclusion, video games have more advantages than disadvantages. It all depends how one use it to his or her benefit

AI Feedback Report Details

Spelling Β· Grammar Β· Vocabulary Β· Criteria Analysis

Spelling Mistakes

7 errors
Misspelled WordCorrected Word
onesone's
imI'm
ishowspeedIShowSpeed
youtubeYouTube
win winwin-win
where bywhereby
to muchtoo much

Grammatical Mistakes

11 errors
MistakeCorrectionExplanation
many importancegreat importance'Importance' is uncountable; 'many' is incorrect. Use 'great' or 'much'.
relive there tensionrelieve their tension'Relive' means to experience again; use 'relieve' for alleviating. 'There' should be possessive 'their'.
when on is freewhen one is free'On' is a preposition; the subject should be 'one'.
however some peoplehowever, some peopleComma required after 'however' when it introduces a contrasting clause.
video games helps onevideo games help oneSubject-verb agreement: 'video games' is plural, so use 'help'.
someone are making there lives miserablesomeone is making their lives miserable'Someone' is singular, so 'is' not 'are'. 'There' should be possessive 'their'.
think strategicthink strategically'Strategic' is an adjective; use adverb 'strategically' to modify the verb 'think'.
In this modern daysIn these modern days'Days' is plural, so use 'these' instead of 'this'.
get subscriptiongain subscribersFor online streaming, 'gain subscribers' is more appropriate than 'get subscription'.
creates entertainment to the viewersprovides entertainment for the viewersCorrect verb-preposition collocation: 'provide for' not 'create to'.
It all depends how one use itIt all depends on how one uses itPreposition 'on' is needed after 'depends'. Subject-verb agreement: 'one' requires 'uses'.

Vocabulary Improvements

7 suggestions
Original Word/PhraseImproved Word/PhraseExplanation
shade lightshed lightIncorrect idiom; 'shed light' means to clarify or explain.
pass through stressexperience stress'Experience stress' is more standard and natural than 'pass through stress'.
dire consequencesserious consequences'Dire' is overly dramatic; 'serious' is more neutral and appropriate for academic writing.
earn some amount of moneyearn moneyRedundant; 'some amount' is unnecessary. Use 'earn money' for conciseness.
modern daysmodern times'Modern times' is a more common and precise phrase.
drains the social skillsimpairs social skills'Impairs' is more precise than 'drains' for describing the reduction of social skills.
introvertsocially withdrawn'Introvert' is a noun; use the adjective phrase 'socially withdrawn' to describe behavior.

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Detailed Criteria Feedback

AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion

Task Response5
Evaluation
The essay presents a clear position that benefits outweigh drawbacks, but the arguments are not fully developed or extended. Both benefits and drawbacks are mentioned, but there is insufficient analysis or specific examples to support the comparison.
Examples
Benefits such as stress relief and earning money are stated, but not elaborated with how they significantly outweigh drawbacks like time consumption and social skill drainage. The conclusion is present but lacks a reinforced evaluation based on the discussion.
How to Improve
Extend each point with detailed examples and explanations. Directly compare benefits and drawbacks to justify the position. Ensure a balanced discussion before concluding that one side outweighs the other.
Coherence & Cohesion5
Evaluation
The essay has a basic structure with introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, cohesion is weakened by repetitive phrasing, pronoun errors, and limited use of linking devices.
Examples
The introduction repeats parts of the question awkwardly. Transitions like 'To begin with' and 'Additionally' are used, but within paragraphs, ideas are not smoothly connected (e.g., 'In this modern days people like ishowspeed...'). Pronoun errors ('there' for 'their') affect clarity.
How to Improve
Use a wider range of cohesive devices (e.g., furthermore, however, consequently) accurately. Ensure each paragraph has a clear central topic and logical flow. Proofread to correct pronoun and reference errors for better clarity.
Lexical Resource5
Evaluation
Vocabulary is basic and repetitive, with several spelling and word choice errors. Some informal expressions are used, and there is limited range of topic-specific lexicon.
Examples
'relive there tension' should be 'relieve their tension'; 'shade light on' should be 'shed light on'; 'ishowspeed' is not properly introduced. Words like 'importance', 'strategic', and 'dire' are used but not always accurately.
How to Improve
Expand vocabulary by learning and using topic-related terms (e.g., 'cognitive skills', 'addiction', 'streaming platforms'). Use a dictionary to check spelling and collocations. Avoid informal language and strive for precision in word choice.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy4.5
Evaluation
There are frequent grammatical errors that sometimes obscure meaning. Sentence structures are mostly simple, with attempts at complexity but inaccuracies in subject-verb agreement, pronouns, and punctuation.
Examples
'video games helps' (should be 'help'); 'someone are making' (should be 'is making'); 'making him or her to be an introvert' (should be 'making him or her introvert'). Punctuation is inconsistent, such as missing commas in compound sentences.
How to Improve
Review basic grammar rules, especially subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and article placement. Practice constructing complex sentences with appropriate conjunctions and punctuation. Seek feedback on written work to identify recurring errors.
πŸ’‘
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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