Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-25

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 7.5)

It is often argued that manufactured food and drink products containing high levels of sugar should be made more expensive to discourage people from consuming them. I disagree with this view because it could negatively affect businesses producing these products, while wealthy consumers may continue to purchase them despite the higher prices.

One significant drawback of this idea is the potential financial loss for businesses that produce sugary food and drinks. Many of these companies depend on price-sensitive consumers from different age groups. If the prices of these everyday products increase, demand is likely to decrease because price and demand have an inverse relationship. Consequently, companies could face substantial financial losses and struggle to attract new customers. Moreover, competitors might take advantage of this situation by offering cheaper alternatives to attract consumers. For example, when Coca-Cola was boycotted by a large number of consumers due to a political dispute, other beverage brands such as 7UP and Pepsi reduced their prices to attract more customers.

Another negative aspect of increasing the prices of sugary products is that wealthy consumers may not be discouraged by the higher cost and could continue purchasing them as before. As a result, a particular group of people would still consume large amounts of sugar and remain at risk of developing health problems, making the price increase less effective as a solution. If reducing health problems is the main objective, governments and companies should instead work together to reduce the amount of sugar in manufactured food and drink products. For instance, such products could be subject to strict regulations regarding the maximum amount of sugar they are allowed to contain before being sold in stores.

In conclusion, I largely disagree with the idea that prices of manufactured food and drink items should be increased to reduce sugar consumption as businesses would directly be financially affected losing customers and a particular group of people would still buy them which will continue the health problem to increase.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response clearly addresses the prompt by taking a firm position against the proposed tax. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the economic argument regarding business losses and the social argument regarding the ineffectiveness of price hikes on wealthy consumers. The alternative solution provided—regulating sugar content—adds depth to the argument. The response covers all parts of the task well, maintaining a consistent position throughout. The arguments are logical and supported by relevant examples, such as the mention of beverage brands, which demonstrates a good understanding of market dynamics.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two distinct body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, and the progression of ideas is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'One significant drawback', 'Moreover', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main arguments. The flow of information is natural, and the reader is guided through the writer's reasoning without any confusion or mechanical repetition.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is sufficient and precise for the task. The writer uses topic-specific terminology such as 'price-sensitive consumers', 'inverse relationship', 'substantial financial losses', and 'strict regulations' correctly. There is a good level of flexibility in word choice, which allows for clear expression of complex ideas. While the vocabulary is not overly sophisticated or 'academic' in a highly advanced sense, it is accurate and natural throughout the text, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a good range of complex structures, such as conditional sentences ('If the prices... increase, demand is likely to decrease') and relative clauses. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the control over punctuation is strong. There are very few minor slips, such as the slightly awkward phrasing in the conclusion ('which will continue the health problem to increase'), but these do not impede communication or detract from the overall clarity of the argument. The grammatical control is consistent throughout.

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