Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-12
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 5.0)
Nowadays consumption of sugar has become major concern because it is not good for health and increase belly fats and people face health issues. I think its taste is very good but sugar causes health problems because some shopkeepers are not hygiene and it is used to make for sweet dishes like gulab jamun cookies, waffle and use other things. Nowadays, every festival like on birthday and people use sweet dishes to celebrate. People have to go market and buy sugar and sweet dishes for their guests. Some people have seen this and if sugar will be expensive some people will not not buy sugar and other sweet dishes because some people have shortage of money . I think government can ban sugar because there are many reasons to ban the sugar because sugar can cause fat and other health problems. If people consume sugary products and might face diabetes problem. Nowadays after dinner people eat sweet dishes. I think this is one of the most significant reasons that people have to face health problem. I think government can increase price, some cannot buy this because some people have to good financials conditions and they buy this and face health problems. I think government should ban sugar and provide sugar free things like sugar free cold drink,cookie,and other things. I think people can avoid sugar because it is not good for health and I believe people ought to buy sugar free things and protect the health. People can not avoid sugar and in future every person will face many health problem so consume healthy food and avoid sugar things to protect health.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether sugary products should be made more expensive to reduce consumption. A position is presented, suggesting both higher prices and government bans on sugar. However, the ideas are repetitive and lack deep development or strong supporting evidence. The student shifts between arguing for taxation and arguing for complete bans or sugar-free alternatives, leading to some confusion in the main argument. Sentences like 'I think government can ban sugar because there are many reasons to ban the sugar because sugar can cause fat and other health problems' show a tendency to circle back to the same points rather than extending them with specific examples. Overall, the task is addressed, but the development remains limited, placing it in Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5
The response is written as a single, dense block of text without paragraph breaks, which significantly impacts its overall coherence and readability. There is a lack of logical organisation and progression throughout the essay. While basic cohesive devices and repetition are used, such as 'Nowadays' and 'I think', referencing is frequently unclear, and relationships between ideas are often mechanical or confusing. For instance, the transition from discussing festivals to market prices and government bans feels abrupt and lacks smooth signposting. Because paragraphing is absent and the overall structure is weak, this criterion meets the descriptors for Band 4.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple words such as 'good', 'bad', 'things', and 'sugar'. There are noticeable limitations in lexical range, with phrasing like 'increase belly fats' and 'shortage of money'. Furthermore, word choice errors are present, such as 'some shopkeepers are not hygiene' instead of 'hygienic'. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic of health and sugar consumption, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands, leading to a score of 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The essay displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on repetitive clauses introduced by 'I think'. Complex structures are attempted, but they are frequently faulty and clumsy, such as 'Some people have seen this and if sugar will be expensive some people will not not buy sugar'. Errors in punctuation, tense consistency, and subject-verb agreement—such as 'sugar cause health problems' and 'people have to face health problem'—occur frequently throughout the text. These errors often strain the reader's understanding, consistent with the Band 4.5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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