Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In some countries, more and more people are hiring a personal fitness trainer, rather than playing sports or doing exercise classes. What are the reasons for this? Is this a positive or a negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 6.5)
In today's world people in several countries are hiring fitness trainers for their health and fitness instead of playing outdoor sports and taking exercising classes. There could be several reasons for this change such as participating in a body building competition or they have to achieve their desired body type in a strict time frame due to work or personal commitments. In my opinion, it is a positive development to choose personal fitness trainers over routine exercising.
First and foremost, citizens hire personal trainers if they are planning to participate in a competition which require very intense workout and diet. Hence, personal trainer helps in achieving that goal by guiding the participant what diet to follow and how to workout to achieve that muscular body.
Secondly, some people require to loose or gain their weight for important events. For instance, actors generally hire personal trainers when their film script require them to put on or shred a considerable amount of weight in a short period of time. Doing it by yourself without any guidance could be challenging and is near to impossible.
Furthermore, having a personal trainer is a great approach if someone feel lost going to gym and are not sure on how to use the gym equipment. It is better to have a personal trainer guiding you how to do the exercise than experimenting yourself and causing an injury. However, personal trainers can cost extra money which could be out of budget for many people. In contrast, If people play outdoor sports like soccer and basketball it barely requires little or no money . Furthermore, if they excel in these sports then they not only keep their body fit but also have a probability of choosing the sport as a career option.
To conclude, I feel the benefits of having a personal trainer is far more than just playing sports outside. Playing sports sure can be fun and can increase one's endurance but may not be the best option if you are looking to achieve a certain weight in a strict time frame.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for the trend and providing a clear opinion on whether it is a positive development. The ideas are relevant, such as the need for professional guidance for specific goals or safety concerns. However, the development is somewhat uneven; while the reasons are clear, the discussion on the 'positive or negative' aspect could be more balanced. The conclusion briefly touches on the comparison, but the argument could be strengthened by acknowledging the drawbacks of personal training more explicitly in the final evaluation to provide a more nuanced perspective.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as in the sentence 'if someone feel lost... and are not sure on how to use the gym equipment', where the pronoun agreement is slightly inconsistent. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate and allows for clear communication. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'endurance', 'muscular body', and 'personal commitments'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'shred a considerable amount of weight' (usually 'shed') and 'barely requires little or no money' (a double negative construction). While these errors do not impede meaning, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. A wider range of sophisticated vocabulary would improve the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('if someone feel lost', 'benefits... is far more'), and minor punctuation or preposition errors. While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause confusion or impede communication. The writer demonstrates a reasonable control over sentence structure, but the frequency of these small errors suggests that a band 6.0 is the most appropriate descriptor, as the control is not consistent enough for a 7.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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