Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24

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)

In recent years, sugar has become a widely debated issue. Although there are arguments on both sides, I strongly agree with the view that maunfactured food should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar mainly because of consumer health and save money.

The primary reason why I agree with this view is that its effect the health of individuals. This is mainly because if you increase the rates of sugar containing foods and drink. As a result, people are less likely to buy these kind of food. For example, if high containing foods are cheaper then easy for everyoe to buy for this lower rate. However , if we boost the price of food then people dont have enough money to buy this kind of food. Therefore, increasing rates of sugar containing items encourage people to buy less and in that way, their health will be impoved.

Another important reason for my position is that it helps you to save money instead of spending on unhealthy items. One reason for this is that if gov will increase the rates of sugar then people will avoid to buy the expensive food and save their money . For instance, mostly people are spending moeny on cheap items but if we boost the cost of unhealthy items then citizens are less like to buy , this way help them to save your money. Consequently, increased the rates of unhealthy products which further supports my view that it helps you to save money.

In conclusion, I firmly agree with the view that sugar containing items should be expensive to encourage people to consume less. This is because of consumer good health and it helps to save your valuable money, both of which can have a significant impact on [socity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. The argument that higher prices help people 'save money' is logically weak, as the primary purpose of such a tax is health-related, not financial savings for the consumer. While the task is addressed, the supporting arguments lack depth and rely on circular reasoning (e.g., 'people are less likely to buy these kind of food' because they are expensive). To reach a higher band, you should focus on more sophisticated arguments, such as the potential for government revenue to be reinvested into public health initiatives or the long-term reduction of healthcare costs for the state.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The primary reason', 'Another important reason', and 'In conclusion', which help the reader follow the argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, there are instances where the flow is slightly hindered by awkward phrasing, such as the transition between the health argument and the financial argument. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and better referencing to avoid repetitive sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'expensive', 'cheap', 'money', and 'food'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'sugar containing foods' (should be 'sugar-laden' or 'sugary foods') and 'rates of sugar' (should be 'price of sugar'). Spelling errors, such as 'maunfactured', 'everyoe', and 'socity', are present. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to economics and public health, and pay closer attention to accurate word forms and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'its effect the health'), missing articles, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'if gov will increase the rates'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas and missing words. While the meaning is generally clear, the errors are frequent enough to cause some distraction. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns, ensuring correct verb tenses, and proofreading for minor slips in punctuation and article usage.

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