Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-08

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)

There is high amount of sugar in most of the artificial prepared food and drinks items, which results in many health complications. There is a need to pay extra money for sugary items, in order to encourage people on less consumption of such products.

I strongly agree to this statement because higher consumption of the sugar could lead to various diseases.

I think that some people become addicted to the sugar, if they don't consume the sugar they could feel anxious and stressed. I strongly consider that the sugar is as dangerous as smoking. Although smoking could cause more fatal effects, sugar could also cause some adverse effects. For instance, the government should take legal actions in order to the prohibition of sugar products. The policy-makers should implement some law and should put taxes on sugary products. This step is crucial to made sugary items expensive.

The main reason to made sugary items expensive is that, to limit the consumption of the food, which are full of calories. In addition, the government should held programmes such as online Podcasts and Surveys. I think in this way, they could educate people about negative effects of sugary items. They could increase self-Awareness among people. I strongly consider that by taking such measures, they would be succeed in the limitation of sugary items.

In the conclusion i would like to say that the government should put efforts for people of the country. If they put high taxes on such items , they would see positive results.

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 limited. While you mention that sugar is as dangerous as smoking and suggest government intervention, these points are not fully extended with detailed reasoning or concrete examples. The argument remains somewhat repetitive, focusing primarily on the need for taxes without exploring other potential consequences or alternative viewpoints. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph provides a deeper analysis of the 'why' and 'how' behind your arguments, rather than simply restating the need for government action.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In addition' and 'For instance,' to link your thoughts. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions between sentences feel abrupt. The use of referencing is sometimes unclear, and the paragraphing could be more effectively utilized to separate distinct arguments. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'consumption,' 'addicted,' and 'policy-makers.' However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'artificial prepared food' instead of 'processed food' and 'made sugary items expensive' instead of 'make.' The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic descriptors. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and academic vocabulary to express your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms (e.g., 'to made sugary items,' 'government should held programmes') and article usage. Some sentences are also slightly ungrammatical, such as 'encourage people on less consumption.' These errors occur frequently enough to be noticeable but do not completely impede communication. To achieve a higher score, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and the correct use of infinitives and modal verbs.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.