Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-28

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 6.5)

Nowadays, the food preferences of people have shifted from healthy, home-cooked food to ready-to-eat food. These kind of food and drink products have high sugar content, which leads to several health issues. Increasing the prices of such products can be a motivation factor for people to consume less sugar. While, I agree to this notion, I also believe that this alone might not be sufficient.

In today's world, where everyone has a busy schedule, people tend to choose convenience over other things. This leads to them eating food and drink products that are manufactured and can be eaten on-the-go. This kind of manufactured edible items usually have a higher amount of sugar content. Sugar is found to be the root cause of many health problems. Health disorders like diabetes, obesity and even hormone related conditions are caused by consuming higher amount of sugar. The reason for excess sugar content in these products is that it acts as a natural preservative and helps in ensuring a longer shelf life.

It is necessary to encourage people to decrease their sugar intake. While, increasing the price of these products may be a short term solution, we need to work upon making people truly understand the harmful effects of sugar. For example, if we increase the price of sugar product then there are chances that people may find it an unnecessary expenditure even on special occasions where it is needed, on the other hand people might buy it regardless of the cost. Instead we should manufacture healthier food products and also make sugary food slightly expensive.

In conclusion, we must take several measures to encourage people to consume less sugar and try to create healthier options available as an alternate to sugary food in addition to increasing the prices of sugary product.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing the problem of sugar in manufactured food and drink, presenting a clear position on whether raising prices is the right solution. The student agrees with the notion while wisely pointing out that pricing alone might not be sufficient. Ideas are appropriately extended, such as explaining why manufactured foods contain high sugar levels for shelf life and outlining the need for broader educational and product reformulation measures. Examples are provided, although they could be slightly more fully developed. For instance, the example about price increases on special occasions touches on consumer behavior, but remains somewhat general. Nevertheless, the position is well-maintained throughout, and all prompt requirements are successfully fulfilled, meeting the Band 7 criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information and ideas are coherently linked, with an introduction, well-defined body paragraphs, and a clear concluding paragraph. Cohesive devices are used effectively to connect ideas, as seen with transition markers like 'In today's world' and 'on the other hand'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct sub-topic—first addressing lifestyle and health impacts, and second examining the complexities of pricing strategies. Although referencing and linking are generally clear, occasional mechanical transitions slightly limit the flow, placing this performance securely at Band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, employing terms such as 'preferences', 'preservative', 'expenditure', and 'reformulation' implicitly. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'hormone related conditions' and 'short term solution'. However, there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'These kind of food' instead of 'This kind of food', and 'higher amount of sugar content' which is slightly redundant. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, demonstrating the characteristics of a Band 6.5 performance, rounded to a solid 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating dependent clauses and conditional structures successfully (e.g., 'While, I agree to this notion, I also believe that...'). There are some grammatical and punctuation errors present, such as unnecessary commas ('While, increasing the price') and minor pluralization agreement issues ('manufactured edible items usually have'). However, these errors are non-systematic and rarely impede communication. The majority of simple sentences are clear, and complex structures are attempted with reasonable control, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.5, awarded as a 6.5.

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