Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-14

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)

IT IS OFTEN ARGUED THAT IN MANY SOCITIES THESE DAYS, PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASING SUGAR CONSUMPTION BECAUSE MANY COMPANIES MANUFACTURED FOOD AND DRINK GOODS CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF SUGAR, WHICH CAUSES MANY DISEASE AND HEALTH ISSUES. THEREFORE, SUGARY PRODUCTS SHOULD BE MADE MORE COSTLY TO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO CONTAIN LESS SUGAR IN DAILY ROUTING. I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH THE VIEW BECAUSE SUGAR IN FUNDAMENTAL NEED FOR ALMOST EVERY HOUSEHOLDS AND SUGAR USED IN ALMOST EVERY FOOD ITEMS ADDITIONALLY INDIVIDUALS SHOULD TAKE GREATER RESPONSIBILITY FOR MANAGING THEIR OWN SUGAR INTAKE.

ONE MAIN REASONS WHY I DISAGREE IS THAT INCRESING PRICE OF SUGAR PRODUCTS AS WELL AS FOOD AND DRINK COULD BE AN UNFAIR FOR LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES. THIS IS BECAUSE, SUGAR IS WIDELY USED IN MANY RPODCUSTS LIKE SNACKS AND PACKAGED FOODS. THEREFORE, INCREASING THEIR PRICES COULD RAISE OVERALL COST OF MONTHLY EXPENSE AND GROCERIES BUDGETS. TO EXEMPLIFY, A LOW-INCOME FAMILY REGULARLY PURCHASE PRODUCTS SUCH AS COOKIES, BISCUITS AND SOFT DRINKS. IF THE PRICES OF THESE ITEMS RISE, THE FAMILY'S FINACIAL STABILITY COULD BE DISTRUBED.

ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT REASON IS THAT ALTHOUGH GOVERNMENTS AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATION SHOULD MAKES SOME POLICIES AND REGULATION, SIMPLY MAKING SUGAR ITEMS MORE COSTLY IS NOT IDEAL AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION. PEOPLE CAN CONTROL THIER CONSUMPTION BY READING MERITS AND DEMEIRTS, SELECTING HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES OF SUGAR. IF CONSUMERS BECOME MORE AWARE ABOUT THEIR HEALTH, THEY MAY CONTAIN LESS SUGAR PRODUCTS.

IN CONCLUSION, IN THIS REVOLUTIONARY ERA, ONLY STRICT RULES AND LAWS NOT ONLY THE IDEAL SOLUTION FOR ANY CRUCIAL PROBLEM, THUS NEEDS OF GOVERNMENT BODIES INVOVMENT IN THIS KIND OF PHENOMENON AS WELL AS PUBLIC'S SELF AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING ALSO BENEFICIAL FOR INDIVIDUALS.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by clearly taking a stance against increasing the price of sugary products, arguing instead for personal responsibility and education. The position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended with examples, such as the mention of low-income families purchasing snacks, biscuits, and soft drinks, which supports the economic argument. However, some arguments lack complete development, particularly the second body paragraph where the point regarding reading merits and demerits is slightly vague. The task is addressed well overall, aligning closely with Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors, though the ideas tend toward generalisation without deeper elaboration.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is written entirely in capital letters, which makes it less readable, but it is structured with clear paragraphing, including an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Logical organisation is generally present, moving from an introduction of the stance to economic concerns and then to alternative solutions. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'TO EXEMPLIFY' and 'ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT REASON', but referencing and linking can sometimes feel mechanical or slightly repetitive. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but the progression between ideas could be smoother to reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with attempts at less common items such as 'financial stability', 'alternative', and 'phenomenon'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'contain less sugar' instead of 'consume less', 'daily routing' instead of 'daily routine', and 'RPODCUSTS' (typographical errors like 'RPODCUSTS' and 'FINACIAL'). These errors occasionally impede communication or distract the reader. The use of all-caps throughout the text also prevents precise assessment of capitalization control, placing it firmly in the Band 6 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional sentences like 'If the prices of these items rise, the family's financial stability could be disturbed.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('could be an unfair'), subject-verb agreement issues ('only strict rules and laws not only the ideal solution'), and incorrect prepositions or word forms ('needs of government bodies involvment'). While communication is generally maintained despite these errors, the density of grammatical inaccuracies prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.

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

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