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)

In the current era, there are several food and drink products have high amount of sugar, that causes many body issues. Decrese the level of sugar should be made sugary things more costly to encourage individuals to consumed less sugary items. I strongly agree this statement, which explain with examples and particular reasons.

Firstly, increasing the price of sugary products can reduce their consumption, especially among young people. If soft drinks, chocolates and other sugary foods become more expensive, people may think twice before purchasing them regularly. For example, teenagers often buy soft drinks and snacks because they are cheap and easily available. If their prices increase, they may choose cheaper and healthier options such as fruits or fresh juices.

Secondly, consuming too much sugar can lead to health problems such as obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. Therefore, reducing sugar intake can improve people's overall health. Higher prices may also encourage food companies to produce products with less sugar. For instance, if customers prefer low-sugar products because they are cheaper, companies may start offering more healthy alternatives.

However, simply increasing prices may not be enough. Governments should also educate people about the harmful effects of excessive sugar consumption and promote healthy eating habits.

In conclusion, I agree that sugary food and drinks should be made more expensive because this can reduce their consumption and encourage people to choose healthier products. However, this measure should be combined with public health education. I belive that individuals has contain less amount of sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by taking a clear stance on whether sugary products should be made more expensive to tackle health issues. The student presents relevant ideas, such as how increased prices could deter young people from purchasing soft drinks and encourage food companies to reformulate their products. Furthermore, the writer acknowledges that taxation alone might be insufficient, successfully introducing the counter-argument about public health education. The main body paragraphs extend and support these ideas with logical examples like teenagers buying cheap snacks and beverages. While the introduction contains some awkward phrasing, the overall position is maintained throughout, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an introduction to two main body points, a counter-perspective, and a conclusion. Transitional markers such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argumentation. However, some mechanical cohesion is evident, and referencing is occasionally faulty, particularly in the opening and closing sentences where transitions feel abrupt. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, but the overall logical progression between sentences can occasionally feel disjointed, aligning with the criteria for a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'consumption', 'obesity', 'diabetes', and 'alternatives'. There are, however, noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices throughout the text. For instance, phrases like 'have high amount of sugar', 'body issues', 'Decrese the level of sugar should be made sugary things more costly', and 'consumed less sugary items' demonstrate limited control over word formation and collocation. Although the student attempts less common vocabulary, spelling and word-choice errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher band, placing this performance solidly at a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and clause structures. Examples of these errors include 'there are several food and drink products have high amount of sugar', 'which explain with examples', 'I strongly agree this statement', and the concluding sentence 'I belive that individuals has contain less amount of sugar.' While these errors can cause momentary difficulty for the reader, communication is rarely completely impeded, and the overall mix of structures supports a Band 5.0.

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