Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay on Academic Pressure: Coherence and Clarity Issues
Sample Answer with Feedback

📅 Published May 2026⏱️ 40 minutes recommended📝 287 words · Band 5.5
Achieving a Band 5.5 in the IELTS Writing section, this essay addresses academic pressure's impact on teenagers. The main feedback centers on coherence and grammar issues, which impede clarity and effectiveness. By reviewing this response, students can learn to enhance their ideas and improve their writing strategies.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question

Problem/ Solution · Education · 40 min



Academic pressure is causing mental health issues among teenagers, including anxiety, depression, and burnout.This growing problem is affecting students’ well-being and long-term development.
What are the causes of this issue, and what solutions can be suggested?

Write at least 250 words.



5.5Band

Overall Band Score

287 words · Problem/ Solution · AI Evaluated

6
Task Response
5
Grammar
5.5
Vocabulary
5.5
Coherence

Score Breakdown

IELTS Writing Band Scores (1–9)

Overall Band Score
5.5
Task Response
6
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
5
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
5.5
Coherence & Cohesion
5.5

Summary: The essay addresses the topic and meets the word count requirement (287 words). However, it suffers from issues in coherence, grammar, and lexical variety, which limit its overall effectiveness. The response provides some relevant ideas but lacks depth and precision in their development.

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Student Answer
Real submission • 287 words • Annotated
287 wordsBand 5.5WritingPart2
● Spelling● Grammar● Vocabulary

Some people argue that academic pressure is causing mental health issues especially among teenagers, including anxiety, depression, and burnout and much more.This growing problem is affecting students’ well-being and long-term development.

Nowadays, mental health problems has been the basic discussion among society. There are many causes for this issue community should not overlook it. Firstly, the level of competition among students had risen dramatically in recent decades. The children in schools have long hours of studying. Nevertheless, the quality of subject had turned to be very concentrated. Therefore, that result in students have to study harder in order to achieve the optimal academic result. Among this long journey some from those students able to succeed and others filldown into mental health issues. So, high competition and imbalanced study life are considerable causes.

Regarding the propsed solutions for academic pressure issues and its consequences. To begin with, it is highly important to support those teenagers closely. All kind of support is neccesery at this time of age. For instance, parents at home can assist in doing the homework and insure of having a healthy lifestyle that balanced between study and other activities like watching T.V. or playing outdoor. Furthermore, much of the day time students are staying in schools with their instructors. hence, Schools should do a regular extracurricular activities which helps studens improve their soft skills. Currently, many teenagers are doing a different type of sports that include: running, swimming, walkig, boxing and riding a bicycles. this activities have a variable advantages on both physical and mental health.

In cnclusion, the mental health issues has been one the bigger disadvantages of academic pressure on teenagers. However, it can be solved by the callobration of schools and parents.

AI Feedback Report Details

Spelling · Grammar · Vocabulary · Criteria Analysis

Spelling Mistakes

9 errors
Misspelled WordCorrected Word
filldownfall down
propsedproposed
necceserynecessary
insureensure
studensstudents
walkigwalking
bicyclesbicycle
cnclusionconclusion
callobrationcollaboration

Grammatical Mistakes

10 errors
MistakeCorrectionExplanation
mental health problems has beenmental health problems have beenSubject-verb agreement: 'problems' is plural and requires 'have'.
the level of competition among students had risenthe level of competition among students has risenIncorrect tense: 'has' is appropriate for recent changes.
the quality of subject had turnedthe quality of subjects has turnedIncorrect tense and singular/plural mismatch: 'subjects' is plural, and 'has' is appropriate for recent changes.
that result in students have to study harderthis results in students having to study harderSubject-verb agreement and sentence structure correction.
others filldown into mental health issuesothers fall into mental health issuesIncorrect verb usage: 'fall' is the correct verb here.
All kind of support is necceseryAll kinds of support are necessaryPlural form and subject-verb agreement correction.
Schools should do a regular extracurricular activitiesSchools should organize regular extracurricular activitiesImproved verb choice and article usage.
this activities have a variable advantagesthese activities have various advantagesDemonstrative pronoun agreement and improved vocabulary.
the mental health issues has beenmental health issues have beenSubject-verb agreement: 'issues' is plural and requires 'have'.
one the bigger disadvantagesone of the biggest disadvantagesArticle usage and superlative form correction.

Vocabulary Improvements

6 suggestions
Original Word/PhraseImproved Word/PhraseExplanation
basic discussioncommon topic of discussionImproved precision and formality.
turned to be very concentratedbecome highly specializedImproved phrasing for academic tone.
assist in doing the homeworkassist with completing homeworkImproved phrasing for clarity and formality.
watching T.V.watching televisionAvoid abbreviation in formal writing.
include: running, swimming, walkig, boxing and riding a bicyclesinclude activities such as running, swimming, walking, boxing, and cyclingImproved phrasing and corrected word choice for clarity and formality.
variable advantagesvarious benefitsImproved word choice for precision and academic tone.

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Detailed Criteria Feedback

AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion

Task Response6
Evaluation
The essay addresses the question by identifying causes of academic pressure and suggesting solutions. However, the ideas are not fully developed, and some points lack clarity or depth. For example, the discussion of 'high competition and imbalanced study life' is too general and not supported with specific examples or evidence.
Examples
The mention of 'long hours of studying' and 'extracurricular activities' is relevant but not elaborated upon in detail.
How to Improve
Provide more specific examples and explanations to support your points. For instance, explain how extracurricular activities can directly alleviate mental health issues or how competition impacts teenagers' well-being.
Coherence & Cohesion5.5
Evaluation
The essay has a basic structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the ideas are not always logically connected, and transitions between sentences and paragraphs are weak. Some sentences are repetitive or unclear, which affects the overall flow.
Examples
Phrases like 'Regarding the propsed solutions for academic pressure issues and its consequences' are awkward and disrupt the flow. The conclusion is abrupt and does not summarize the main points effectively.
How to Improve
Use clear linking words and phrases to connect ideas more effectively. For example, use 'Moreover,' 'In addition,' or 'As a result' to improve transitions. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and that the conclusion summarizes the key points.
Lexical Resource5.5
Evaluation
The essay demonstrates a limited range of vocabulary, with some repetition and incorrect word choices. There are attempts to use more advanced words, but they are often used inaccurately or awkwardly.
Examples
Words like 'propsed,' 'callobration,' and 'neccesery' are misspelled. Phrases like 'the quality of subject had turned to be very concentrated' are unclear and awkward.
How to Improve
Expand your vocabulary by learning synonyms and collocations related to the topic. Practice using more precise and varied language. For example, instead of 'doing a different type of sports,' use 'engaging in various physical activities.'
Grammatical Range & Accuracy5
Evaluation
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues, incorrect verb forms, and sentence structure problems. These errors make the essay difficult to read and reduce its overall effectiveness.
Examples
Errors include 'mental health problems has been,' 'others filldown into mental health issues,' and 'this activities have a variable advantages.'
How to Improve
Focus on improving basic grammar, such as subject-verb agreement and sentence structure. Practice writing simple, grammatically correct sentences before attempting more complex ones. For example, 'This activity has various advantages' is a correct version of 'this activities have a variable advantages.'
💡
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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