Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-18
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 4.0)
It is ofter argued by some people that several manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes numerous health issues. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to use less sugar. Although some might disagree with this notion, I completely agree. Not only because of sugary is dangerous for health and people die more quickly as compared to healthy people, but also because of
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0
The response is severely under-length, containing only 71 words compared to the minimum requirement of 250 words. Because of this extreme brevity, the writer is unable to develop a position or support ideas with relevant examples. The introduction states a clear stance on increasing the price of sugary products, but the essay stops abruptly mid-sentence ('...but also because of'). Consequently, Task Achievement is heavily penalised for failing to meet the basic length requirement and covering the prompt fully, earning a band score of 3.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
Due to the fragment-like nature of the response and the abrupt ending, it is difficult to judge overall coherence and progression. The writer manages an initial complex introductory sentence using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Although' and 'Not only because of'. However, there is no paragraphing structure or sustained logical flow because the text cuts off after only a few sentences. Therefore, organisation cannot be fully demonstrated, resulting in a band score of 4.0 based on the limited output provided.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.5
The vocabulary used in the snippet is basic yet generally appropriate for the topic. Phrases like 'manufactured food and drink products', 'high levels of sugar', and 'health issues' demonstrate a minimally adequate range for the task. However, the lexical resource is restricted by the extremely short length of the text, preventing the writer from showcasing a wider range of less common or idiomatic vocabulary. A couple of minor lexical errors appear, such as the awkward phrasing 'because of sugary is dangerous'. This yields a band score of 4.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The writer attempts a complex sentence structure ('Although some might disagree... I completely agree') which is grammatically sound. However, the subsequent sentence contains a major grammatical error: 'Not only because of sugary is dangerous for health...'. The response ends abruptly with a dangling prepositional phrase ('because of'), demonstrating very limited sustained structural range due to the incomplete writing. While the initial clauses show some control, the frequency of structural failure at the end limits the band score to 4.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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