Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar.

Do you agree or disagree?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

A considerable amount of sugar is present in food and beverages manufactured today, which is detrimental to one's health. Although, some people believe that sweet products should be costly in order to discourage people to eat less sugar. However, i largely disagree with it as it might affect the food industry in that country and the wealthy people won't be affected by this initiative and as a result, the poor would suffer.

The primary reason for my disagreement is that this solution could be the reason the food industry would suffer. If the cost of the sugary products is increased, this will escalate the possibility that the product's overall selling rate might decline. As a result, the shopper keepers, businessmen and country's food industrial expenditure would be affected. For Example, Pakistan is a country consisting of bakeries, ice cream shops and areas that are specifically selling things containing sugar. Those places could face loss if government comes up with this solution.

Another compelling argument is that the rich people would not pay attention to such a step, and this is definitely not going to have any impact on them. Moreover, Middle class people would be influenced by this, and it will be hard for them affording such products. For instance, government can implement many other plans such as educating people through advertisements, and printing labels on the products containing high sugar. therefore, by proper education and cautioning people regarding their wellbeing and fitness would be a step towards a healthy life.

In conclusion, i disagree with the idea that sugary products should be costly in order to make people avoid and take good care of their health. Because the food industries will suffer and the affluent society won't pay attention to this plan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position against the proposed tax. The ideas are relevant, such as the potential impact on the food industry and the socioeconomic disparity regarding affordability. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the food industry in Pakistan is a good start but could be more deeply explored to explain the broader economic implications. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesize the points made. Overall, the response is clear and maintains a consistent position throughout, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0, but it lacks the depth of analysis required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The primary reason,' 'Another compelling argument,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the use of 'it' in the introduction, which is slightly ambiguous. The flow between sentences is generally smooth, but the connection between the economic argument and the alternative solutions could be more sophisticated. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the development of the argument effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. You use some good collocations like 'detrimental to one's health' and 'compelling argument.' However, there are some inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing. For example, 'shopper keepers' is not a standard term (likely meaning 'shopkeepers'), and 'affluent society' is used slightly inaccurately to refer to 'wealthy individuals.' The range is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but there is a lack of more sophisticated or precise vocabulary that would elevate the response to a higher band. Improving word choice and avoiding minor errors would strengthen this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'discourage people to eat' should be 'discourage people from eating,' and 'hard for them affording' should be 'hard for them to afford.' Additionally, there are punctuation and capitalization errors, such as the lowercase 'i' used throughout. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on verb patterns (e.g., 'discourage from doing') and consistent proofreading for basic mechanical errors.

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

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