Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-17

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 6.5)

These days many people have expressed that they are facing difficulties in getting proper sleep. There are two main issues this could cause, which are health issues and difficulties in balancing their life, and these problems could only be controlled by changing lifestyle.

Lack of sleep could be harmful for one's overall health. If people are struggling with sleeplessness for a longer period of time, they could suffer from long term cognitive disabilities and diseases like stress, insomnia, cancer, and anxiety. Additionally, this could also make it difficult for people to balance their personal and professional lives efficiently. As a result, they could face serious problems in their lives (family misunderstandings and being unable to complete a work task before the due date) as they could feel irritated and tired all the time because of improper sleep. For example, the cancer rate has increased drastically by 24% in the last two years because of insomnia, according to the World Health Organization.

There are two possible things that could be done to tackle this problem. Firstly, people could try to adapt a health lifestyle. If they could stop using technical gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops, and computers at least an hour before going to bed, and could try to engage in lightweight exercise or yoga. Consequently, they could see a positive and significant change in their sleep pattern. Secondly, the government could start some workshops and awareness campaigns to promote the importance of regular sleep in their life.

In conclusion, not getting enough sleep could be harmful for someone's overall well-being by impacting their health and work-life balance negatively. This serious issue could be solved by adapting a healthy living style and the government could also contribute to this.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses both parts of the prompt: the problems caused by a lack of sleep and the solutions. In the introduction, the student outlines health issues and work-life balance difficulties, and then develops these points in the body paragraphs. For instance, the writer discusses cognitive disabilities and mentions specific conditions like stress and insomnia. The solutions are also clearly presented, covering lifestyle changes such as reducing screen time before bed and government awareness campaigns. While some ideas like the cancer statistic are somewhat forced or embellished, the overall task is fully addressed with a clear position and well-developed supporting points throughout, aligning closely with the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Information and ideas are grouped into logical paragraphs: an introduction, two body paragraphs addressing problems and solutions respectively, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Additionally', 'As a result', and 'Firstly'. However, some minor awkwardness in referencing and transitional phrases occasionally appears, such as 'There are two possible things that could be done to tackle this problem'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the distinct parts of the prompt, ensuring the reader can easily follow the argument from start to finish. This earns a solid Band 6.5 to 7.0; clear logic and paragraphing warrant a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate and precise enough for the task, allowing the writer to communicate complex ideas about health and lifestyle. The student attempts less common lexical items such as 'cognitive disabilities', 'awareness campaigns', and 'work-life balance'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors that prevent a higher band, such as 'adapt a health lifestyle' (healthy lifestyle), 'living style' (lifestyle), and minor preposition slips. Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding the reader. These features fit the Band 6.0 profile well, showing an adequate range with some developing awareness of style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct multi-clause sentences using subordinating conjunctions like 'If people are struggling...' and 'As a result, they could face...'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as sentence fragments and modal verb confusions ('could only be controlled by changing lifestyle' missing an article). For instance, 'If they could stop using... and could try to engage...' is a dependent clause without a main clause, creating a grammatical error. While these errors occur frequently enough to preclude a Band 7.0, they rarely impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.

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

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