Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17

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 6.0)

Generally most importation of processed products for general consumption contain high amounts of sugar which causes health implications. These products should be expensive to discourage the public from purchasing them. Though these specific products may have advantages to individuals as some people may consume these products only during festivities and to entertain their children, I definitely agree that these sugary products should not be afforable for the public to access easily. The reasons behind my agreement is mainly because of the health complication it causes and the reliance which children have on these sweets.

For a developing country like Kiribati, I agree that every imported good should be of benefical value to its citizens. As we donot have easy access to nutritious foods like vegetables and other plant grown food, the authorities should encourage local businesses to import more natural and fresh products. For example, most companies in Tarawa import fruits and vegetables internationally for the public to have access to more nutritious foods. However, if these local companies are permitted to source fresh products from neighbouring islands like Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu it would give locals more options to a much healthier diet.

However, if local businesses in Kiribati continuously import and sell junk foods to the public in cheap prices, locals will keep buying them. The main reason is because it is affordable and cheap. For example, the introduction of sweets to local Kiribati children is apparently common as form of entertainment and just to keep the children occupied. This will result in the an unhealthy diet for the current and future generations if not controlled at an earlier stage.

To conclude, the import of unhealthy products for local consumption should not be encouraged if a country aims for a healthier and prosperous future. I definitely agree that there is a need to control these unhealthy habits of depending on snacks and sweets. Therefore, local businesses should increase the prices of these goods and the autorities should enforce regulations and pass bills to limit the import of these processed products and focus more on fresh and healthy products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position throughout in agreement with the prompt. The writer extends and supports ideas well, using specific contextual examples from Kiribati to illustrate the economic and social factors influencing consumption. While the essay tends to generalise slightly regarding the impact of imported junk foods, the arguments are relevant and fully developed. For instance, the discussion regarding the introduction of sweets to local children as a form of entertainment provides a clear local perspective that directly supports the main thesis. This performance aligns comfortably with Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introduction and stance to contextual examples regarding Kiribati, and finally to a well-supported conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'For a developing country like Kiribati', 'However', and 'To conclude' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is managed effectively, ensuring that ideas are grouped logically. Although referencing is occasionally repetitive, the overall cohesion is clear and robust, fitting the Band 7 level well.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, allowing for some precision with terms like 'consumption', 'implications', 'nutritious', and 'prosperous future'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of style and collocation, such as 'health complication' and 'nutritious foods'. However, there are a few minor lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips, such as 'importation' used where 'imports' or 'products' is intended, 'afforable', and 'benefical'. Despite these occasional errors, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the message clearly, justifying a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance; given the control shown, a 6.0 is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures ('if local businesses... locals will keep buying them') and relative clauses. There are several good error-free sentences, demonstrating decent control. However, a number of grammatical errors persist, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('most importation... contain', 'The reasons behind my agreement is'), missing plural markers ('in cheap prices' instead of 'at cheap prices', 'the an unhealthy diet'), and a few spelling or typographical slips ('donot'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.

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

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