Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-20

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays many people complain that they have difficulties getting enough sleep. What problems can lack of sleep cause? What can be done about lack of sleep?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 7.5)

In modern society, sleep deprivation has become an increasingly common problem among people. I believe that several factors, such as busy work schedules, physical changes and unhealthy lifestyles, can negatively affect sleep. This essay will discuss the main causes of this problem and suggest some possible solutions.

One of the main factors causing sleep deprivation is disruptive work schedules. Employees are often overwhelmed by heavy workloads, which can lead to long working hours. Consequently, they may not get sufficient sleep, which can result in various physical and mental health problems. In addition, unhealthy eating habits can also significantly affect sleep. The easy availability and convenience of fast food have made it particularly popular among young people. For example, numerous studies have shown that excessive consumption of fast food can contribute to various health problems, including poor sleep quality. Moreover, hormonal changes associated with ageing can also cause sleep-related problems in some individuals.

However, this issue can be addressed through targeted measures at both individual and government levels. At an individual level, people should take responsibility for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They should follow a balanced diet and engage in regular physical activity, which can improve their overall health and sleep quality. Furthermore, governments should establish reasonable working-hour limits for both public- and private-sector employees to prevent excessive workloads. Additionally, regular health check-ups should be affordable and accessible, particularly for older people, so that potential health problems can be identified and treated at an early stage.

In conclusion, although difficulties in getting adequate sleep can be caused by several factors, this problem can be tackled through appropriate actions by individuals and governments. By adopting healthier lifestyles and implementing suitable workplace and healthcare policies, society can improve people's sleep quality and overall well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion8.0
Lexical Resource7.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy7.5
Overall7.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: it identifies causes of sleep deprivation (work schedules, diet, aging) and proposes solutions (individual lifestyle changes, government policy). The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, while you mention that 'unhealthy eating habits' affect sleep, you could have elaborated more on the physiological link between diet and sleep cycles to reach a higher band. The ideas are relevant and well-supported, but they remain at a general level rather than being fully extended with specific, detailed examples or deeper analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, such as 'One of the main factors causing sleep deprivation is disruptive work schedules.' Cohesive devices like 'Consequently,' 'In addition,' 'However,' and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the causes from the solutions, which contributes to the overall clarity of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases such as 'sleep deprivation,' 'disruptive work schedules,' 'excessive consumption,' and 'targeted measures' are used accurately. There is an awareness of style, and the language is appropriate for an IELTS essay. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it lacks a high degree of sophistication or 'less common' lexical items that would elevate the response to a higher band. Nevertheless, there are no errors in word choice that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'which can lead to long working hours' and 'although difficulties in getting adequate sleep can be caused by several factors.' The grammar is generally accurate, with very few errors. Punctuation is handled well, and the sentence construction is consistently clear. To achieve a higher score, you could incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as inversion or more varied conditional sentences, to demonstrate greater flexibility.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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