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Cambridge 15 Writing Task 2 Test 2 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)
Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
The Prompt
Printed Newspapers and Books in the Digital Age
In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
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263 wordsUses paid journalism to directly undermine the statement's core assumption, rather than simply asserting that print will survive.
The claim that printed newspapers and books will disappear entirely because free online content will replace them is, in my view, an exaggeration, and while digital reading will undoubtedly continue to grow, I disagree that printed media will vanish altogether.
There is genuine momentum behind this prediction. Free online news and freely shared e-books have already devastated traditional print circulation figures across most Western markets, and younger generations in particular now consume the overwhelming majority of their reading material on screens, often without paying for it directly.
However, I believe printed media will persist in several important niches rather than disappearing entirely. Physical books remain preferred by many readers for the tactile experience they offer, and collectors, students annotating texts, and people seeking a break from screens continue to sustain demand for print. Furthermore, paid subscription models for quality journalism, such as those used by major newspapers, have proven that people are willing to pay for well-researched, ad-free content even when free alternatives exist, directly contradicting the premise that free online content will always win out. Print books also continue to sell strongly in many markets precisely because reading on paper is often less tiring for the eyes and easier to focus on for long periods, a genuine practical advantage that digital formats have yet to fully replicate.
In conclusion, while online reading will continue to dominate in terms of sheer volume, I disagree that printed newspapers and books will vanish completely, since specific groups of readers and quality journalism will likely continue to sustain a smaller but genuine print and paid-content market.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Directly addresses 'to what extent' with a clear, well-justified disagreement, and the point about paid subscription journalism directly contradicts the statement's own premise, giving the argument real force.
Coherence & Cohesion: Each paragraph carries a distinct function, and cohesive devices ("however", "in conclusion") link them naturally throughout.
Lexical Resource: Wide range of precise vocabulary ("devastated", "tactile experience", "premise") used with natural collocation.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of complex structures, including relative clauses and non-finite clauses, used with full accuracy.
Band 8
251 wordsA clear, well-supported disagreement, just slightly less tightly argued than a band 9 answer.
Some people believe that in the future nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because everything will be available to read online for free. I disagree with this statement, because I believe print media will continue to exist, even if in a smaller form.
It is true that free online content has already had a big effect on printed newspapers and books, and many young people now read almost everything on their phones or computers instead of buying physical copies.
However, I don't think printed media will disappear completely. Many people still prefer the physical experience of reading a real book, and some readers, such as students or collectors, will always want physical copies for practical or personal reasons. Also, many good newspapers now charge for their online content and have shown that people are willing to pay for high-quality journalism, even when free alternatives are available elsewhere. Print books also continue to sell well in many places, partly because reading on paper feels less tiring for many people and is easier to focus on for a long time compared to reading on a screen, which is a real advantage that digital formats still have not fully solved. This is one reason bookshops continue to survive even in the internet age.
In conclusion, while online reading will likely continue to grow, I disagree that printed newspapers and books will completely disappear, because there will probably always be some readers who prefer physical copies or are willing to pay for quality content.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Addresses 'to what extent' with a clear, well-supported disagreement, though the reasoning is slightly less integrated than the band 9 answer's.
Coherence & Cohesion: Clear four-paragraph structure with accurate cohesive devices throughout.
Lexical Resource: Good range of vocabulary, though "the physical experience" is more general than the higher-band answer's more precise phrasing.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Mostly accurate complex sentences with only rare minor slips.
Band 7
254 wordsA clear, reasoned answer that would be stronger with one concrete example to anchor its argument.
Some people think that in the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they can read everything online for free. I disagree with this statement.
It is true that many people now read news and books online instead of buying printed copies, especially younger people, because it is often free and more convenient than buying a physical copy.
However, I don't think printed newspapers and books will completely disappear. Some people still prefer reading a real book instead of reading on a screen, because it feels more comfortable for them. Also, some newspapers and websites now charge money for their content, which shows that some people are still willing to pay for good quality information instead of only using free sources. Also, reading on paper feels less tiring for many people's eyes than reading on a screen for a long time, which is one reason some people still choose to buy physical books and newspapers even though free options exist online. Bookshops and print newspapers have not disappeared despite decades of competition from free online content, which shows that a meaningful part of the market still values them. This trend seems likely to continue.
In my opinion, printed media will probably become less popular over time, but I don't think it will disappear completely, because different people have different reading preferences.
In conclusion, I disagree that nobody will buy printed newspapers or books in the future, because some people will always prefer physical copies or be willing to pay for good content.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Addresses 'to what extent' with a clear position, but no specific real-world example (a newspaper, a platform) is used to support the reasoning, unlike the higher-band answers.
Coherence & Cohesion: Organised logically with one clear idea per paragraph; cohesive devices ("However", "In conclusion") are accurate but predictable.
Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task, with some repetition of "printed" and "disappear" throughout.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate mix of simple and complex sentences; meaning is always clear.
Band 6.5
254 wordsThe reasoning is clear and logically organised, but agreement errors on nearly every key task word noticeably lower the score.
Some people think that in the future, nobody will buy printed newspaper or book because they can read everything online for free. I disagree with this statement.
It is true that many people now read news and book online instead of buying printed copy, especially younger people, because it is often free and more convenient than buying physical copy.
However, I don't think printed newspaper and book will completely disappear. Some people still prefer reading real book instead of reading on screen, because it feel more comfortable for them. Also, some newspaper and website now charge money for their content, which show that some people is still willing to pay for good quality information instead of only using free source. Also, reading on paper feel less tiring for many people eye than reading on screen for long time, which is one reason some people still choose to buy physical book and newspaper even though free option exist online. Bookshop and print newspaper has not disappear despite decade of competition from free online content, which show that meaningful part of the market still value them. This trend seem likely to continue. This is true in many country.
In my opinion, printed media will probably become less popular over time, but I don't think it will disappear completely, because different people have different reading preference.
In conclusion, I disagree that nobody will buy printed newspaper or book in the future, because some people will always prefer physical copy or be willing to pay for good content.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Addresses 'to what extent' with a clear position, matching the content of the band 7 answer, but grammar errors throughout reduce clarity.
Coherence & Cohesion: Follows the same one-idea-per-paragraph structure as the higher-band answers.
Lexical Resource: Limited by missing plurals on key task words ("newspaper", "book", "copy") used throughout instead of their plural forms.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement errors ("it feel more comfortable", "some people is still willing", "different reading preference") appear on nearly every sentence.
Band 4-5 - What to Avoid
39 wordsStates a position but never explains to what extent, and stays well under the required length.
I disagree, I think some people still buy book and newspaper.
Not everyone like read on phone, some people like paper more, this is true.
I think both will exist in future, this is my opinion about this topic.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: States disagreement but gives almost no development, each idea gets a single unsupported sentence, so the instruction to explain 'to what extent' is not really fulfilled. At well under 250 words, the response is also underlength.
Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphs list ideas without connecting them into a developing argument.
Lexical Resource: Extremely basic and repetitive vocabulary ("like", "true", "think") with no attempt at more varied language.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors, including missing plurals and subject-verb agreement ("not everyone like read").
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