Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay on Drug Abuse: Language and Clarity Issues
Sample Answer with Feedback

πŸ“… Published Mar 2026⏱️ 40 minutes recommendedπŸ“ 312 words Β· Band 5.5
This Band 5.5 IELTS essay addresses drug abuse through problem and solution analysis but suffers from significant language and clarity issues. Frequent spelling and grammatical errors hinder effective communication. To enhance your IELTS score, it's crucial to avoid these common pitfalls and focus on clearer expressions of ideas.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question

Problem/ Solution Β· Drugs Β· 40 min



Drug abuse has become a growing concern in many societies. What are the factors that contribute to the increasing problem of drug abuse in our society, and how can we address them?

Write at least 250 words.





5.5Band

Overall Band Score

312 words Β· Problem/ Solution Β· 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 meets the minimum word count (312 words) and addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing factors contributing to drug abuse and suggesting solutions. However, it is marred by frequent language errors in spelling, grammar, and vocabulary, which reduce clarity and sophistication. The structure is basic but could be improved with better paragraphing and cohesion.

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Student Answer
Real submission β€’ 312 words β€’ Annotated
312 wordsβ€’Band 5.5β€’WritingPart2
● Spelling● Grammar● Vocabulary

DRUGS CONSEMPTION OR SELLING HAS BECOOM ONE OF MOST SERIOUS SOCIAL PROBLEMES IN MANY COUNTRIES .IT AFFECTS NOT ONLY INDIVIDUALS BUT ALSO FAMILIES AND ENTIRE COMMUNITIES . THEREFORE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE MAIN PROBLEMS CAUSED BYTHIS PHENOMENAN AND MAKE EFFORTS TO FIND AND SUGGEST SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE THIS DANGER ISSUE .
ON ONE HAND , ONE OF THE MAIN MAJOUR CAUSES OF DRUG ABUSE IS PEER PRESSURE , MANY YOUNG PEOPLE START USING DRUGS DUE TO THE PRESSURE FROM THEIR FRIENDS OR CLASSMATES . THEY MAY WANT TO FIT IN WITH A GROUP OR AVOID BEEING REJECTED .IN ADDITION ,THE LACK OF EDUCATION AND AWARNESS PLAY A CRUCUAL ROLE IN THIS ESSIUE ,IN SOME COMMUNITIES PEOPLE ARE NOT FULLY AWARE ABOUT THE DANGER OF chemical products" title="Correction: these chemical products">THIS CHEMICAL PRODUCTS WHICH ARE MADE FROM CHEMICAL PROUDUCTS .FURTHERMORE , FAMILY PROBLEMS; POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT ARE A CONSIDIRABLE FACTOR . UNSTABLE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT AND FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES .FOR EXAMPLE , CONFLICTS BETWEEN PARENTS ; LACK OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ; FEELING HOPELESS ABOUT FUTURE CAN PUSH YOUNG PEOPLE TOWARD DRUGS USE AS A WAY TO ESCAPE THEIR PROBLEMS AND TO FORGET THEIR STRUGGLES .
ON THE OTHER HAND , SEVERAL SOLUTIONS CAN PREVENT THIS ISSUE . FIRSTLY , GOVERNMENTS SHOULD INVEST MORE MONEY IN EDUCATION AND AWARENESS C PROGRAMS . SCHOOL AND MEDIA CAMPAIGNS CAN INFORM YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE DANGER OF DRUGS AND HELP THEM MAKE BETTER DECISIONS . SECONDLY , PUTTING STRICT LAWS AGAINST DRUG DEALERS AND REDUCE THE AVAILABILITY OF DRUGS . FINALY , PROVIDE REHABILITATION CENTERS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL FOR HELPING ADDICTS TO RECOVER AND REINTGRATE IN SOCIETY .
ULTIMETLY , DRUG ABUSE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT AFFECT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ; SECURITY AND SOCIAL STABILITY . NEVERTHERLESS THROUGH EDUCATION ; REHABILITATION AND STRONG LAW INFORCEMENTS GOVERMNTS AND SOCIETIES CAN REDUCE DRUG CONSUMPTION AND PROTECT THE FUTURE GENERATIONS .

AI Feedback Report Details

Spelling Β· Grammar Β· Vocabulary Β· Criteria Analysis

Spelling Mistakes

18 errors
Misspelled WordCorrected Word
CONSEMPTIONCONSUMPTION
BECOOMBECOME
PROBLEMESPROBLEMS
BYTHISBY THIS
PHENOMENANPHENOMENON
MAJOURMAJOR
BEEINGBEING
AWARNESSAWARENESS
CRUCUALCRUCIAL
ESSIUEISSUE
PROUDUCTSPRODUCTS
CONSIDIRABLECONSIDERABLE
FINALYFINALLY
REINTGRATEREINTEGRATE
ULTIMETLYULTIMATELY
NEVERTHERLESSNEVERTHELESS
INFORCEMENTSENFORCEMENT
GOVERMNTSGOVERNMENTS

Grammatical Mistakes

14 errors
MistakeCorrectionExplanation
ONE OF MOST SERIOUSone of the most seriousMissing definite article 'the' before superlative
DRUGS CONSEMPTIONdrug consumption'Drugs' should not be plural when used as a modifier; use 'drug' for the noun modifier
THE LACK OF EDUCATION AND AWARNESS PLAYthe lack of education and awareness playsSubject-verb agreement: 'the lack' is singular, so verb should be 'plays'
AWARE ABOUT THE DANGERaware of the dangersPreposition error: 'aware of' not 'aware about'; 'dangers' plural for clarity
THIS CHEMICAL PRODUCTSthese chemical productsDemonstrative adjective error: 'this' is singular, but 'products' is plural, so use 'these'
FAMILY PROBLEMS; POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT ARE A CONSIDIRABLE FACTORFamily problems, poverty, and unemployment are considerable factorsSemicolon should be comma in a list, and 'factor' should be plural 'factors' to agree with multiple subjects
UNSTABLE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT AND FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIESUnstable family environment and financial difficulties are also factorsSentence fragment; needs a verb to be a complete sentence
CONFLICTS BETWEEN PARENTS ; LACK OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ; FEELING HOPELESS ABOUT FUTUREconflicts between parents, lack of emotional support, and feeling hopeless about the futureSemicolons should be commas in a list, and 'the future' requires the definite article
DRUGS USEdrug use'Drugs' should not be plural when used as a modifier; use 'drug' for the noun modifier
PUTTING STRICT LAWS AGAINST DRUG DEALERS AND REDUCE THE AVAILABILITY OF DRUGSGovernments should put strict laws against drug dealers and reduce the availability of drugsSentence fragment; missing subject and verb for the main clause
PROVIDE REHABILITATION CENTERS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT IS ESSENTIALProviding rehabilitation centers and psychological support is essentialVerb form error; gerund 'providing' should be used as subject instead of infinitive 'provide'
DRUG ABUSE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT AFFECT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ; SECURITY AND SOCIAL STABILITYDrug abuse is a serious problem that affects mental and physical health, security, and social stabilityMissing verb 'is' after 'abuse', and 'affect' should be 'affects' for subject 'that'. Semicolons should be commas
THROUGH EDUCATION ; REHABILITATION AND STRONG LAW INFORCEMENTSthrough education, rehabilitation, and strong law enforcementSemicolons should be commas in a list, and 'law enforcements' should be 'law enforcement' (non-count noun)
PEER PRESSURE , MANY YOUNG PEOPLE STARTPeer pressure. Many young people startComma splice; two independent clauses should be separated by a period or semicolon

Vocabulary Improvements

9 suggestions
Original Word/PhraseImproved Word/PhraseExplanation
DANGER ISSUEdangerous issue'Danger' is a noun; here an adjective is needed to modify 'issue', so use 'dangerous'
MAIN MAJOUR CAUSESmajor causesRedundant; 'main' and 'major' mean similar things; use one for conciseness
CHEMICAL PRODUCTSdrugsVague; in the context of drug abuse, 'drugs' is more precise than 'chemical products'
CONSIDIRABLE FACTORsignificant factor'Considerable' is acceptable, but 'significant' is more common in academic writing
PUTTING STRICT LAWSenacting strict laws'Putting' is informal; 'enacting' is more appropriate for laws in formal context
LAW INFORCEMENTSlaw enforcement'Enforcement' is a non-count noun; no plural form needed
PROVIDE REHABILITATION CENTERSproviding rehabilitation centersVerb form; in this context, gerund is better for formal writing
REINTGRATE IN SOCIETYreintegrate into societyPreposition error; 'into' is used with 'reintegrate'
PROTECT THE FUTURE GENERATIONSprotect future generationsDefinite article 'the' is unnecessary; 'future generations' is a general term

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Detailed Criteria Feedback

AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion

Task Response6
Evaluation
The response covers the task by identifying key factors (e.g., peer pressure, lack of education, family problems) and proposing solutions (e.g., education programs, strict laws, rehabilitation). However, some points are overly general and repetitive, and development could be deeper with more specific examples.
Examples
The essay mentions 'peer pressure' and 'family problems' as causes but does not elaborate with detailed instances. Solutions like 'strict laws against drug dealers' are stated without further explanation.
How to Improve
Provide more concrete examples for each factor and solution. Avoid repeating ideas from the introduction. Ensure each paragraph fully develops one main idea with supporting details.
Coherence & Cohesion5.5
Evaluation
The essay has a clear introduction-body-conclusion structure, but paragraphing is inconsistent. Transition words are used (e.g., 'on one hand', 'furthermore'), but the flow between ideas is sometimes mechanical. Some sentences are poorly linked, affecting overall coherence.
Examples
The first body paragraph mixes multiple causes without clear separation. The use of semicolons in lists (e.g., 'FAMILY PROBLEMS; POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT') is incorrect. The conclusion is brief and repetitive.
How to Improve
Use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph's main idea. Improve paragraph organization by focusing on one cause or solution per paragraph. Use appropriate linking words (e.g., 'however', 'in contrast') to connect ideas smoothly.
Lexical Resource5.5
Evaluation
Vocabulary is relevant to the topic but limited and often misspelled or misused. There are several spelling errors and repetitive phrases, which reduce the range and accuracy of lexical resource.
Examples
Misspellings: 'consemption' for 'consumption', 'becomm' for 'become', 'problemes' for 'problems', 'awarness' for 'awareness'. Repetition: 'chemical products' used redundantly. Awkward phrasing: 'this danger issue' instead of 'this dangerous issue'.
How to Improve
Expand vocabulary by learning synonyms and topic-specific terms. Proofread carefully to correct spelling errors. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to choose more precise words and avoid repetition.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy5
Evaluation
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the essay, including subject-verb agreement, punctuation mistakes, and sentence structure issues. While some complex sentences are attempted, errors often impede meaning.
Examples
Subject-verb agreement: 'DRUG ABUSE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT AFFECT' should be 'Drug abuse is a serious problem that affects'. Punctuation: Incorrect use of semicolons in lists. Sentence fragments: 'FOR EXAMPLE , CONFLICTS BETWEEN PARENTS ; LACK OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ; FEELING HOPELESS ABOUT FUTURE CAN PUSH...' is poorly structured.
How to Improve
Review basic grammar rules, especially subject-verb agreement and punctuation. Practice writing complex sentences with correct clause structures. Consider using grammar checking tools and seeking feedback to identify common 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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