Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-15
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)
The rise in health problems can be clearly noted due to many processed food and drinks contain high level of sugars in them. Some people believe that sugary products should be priced highly to discourage people from consuming them. I believe that rather than pricing them more, effective awareness should be encouraged.
Manufactured foods are easier to consume as they are readily available. Alot of such food items and drinks contain large amount of sugar in it. Consuming sugar frequently can be a definite cause of many diseases:diabetes, obesity, fatty liver, high blood pressures and ultimately heart issues.
It is suggested that the cost of such products should be increased so that they won't be an easier or feasable option and, hence, it will be consumed less. In my opinion, increasing the prices will create a problem for those who genuinely have issues cooking their meals daily. So, the effective awareness programs should be launched. Government should make healtheier ready made options more available and should focus on dietary values of the items. Physical activity platforms should also be made free for the public. Trainings regarding benefits of sports, walk and strength training must be arranged. Public should be told about the benefits of healthy food and nutritionists should launch schemes to discourage the people to eat processed and manufactured food.
Public should me made aware of the consequences of an unhealthy diet and healthier go to options must be introdued rather than making the manufactured food more expensive. I believe that balance is the key to healthy and steady lifestyle.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
Your position is clear: you disagree with making sugary products more expensive and favour awareness and healthier alternatives. You address the health concern and explain that higher prices could disadvantage people who cannot easily cook, then suggest government action and public education. These are relevant ideas, but some are less fully developed than others. For example, the possible effect of price increases is asserted rather than supported with an example or explanation of how this would affect consumption. The proposed awareness campaigns, exercise facilities and nutrition schemes are also listed without showing which would most directly reduce sugar intake. Develop one or two points with a specific example and explain how they support your position.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable overall structure: it introduces your view, describes the health risks, considers the proposed price increase, and concludes with your preferred approach. This gives the reader a general sense of progression. However, the middle paragraph combines several different recommendations—healthier ready-made food, free activity platforms, training and nutrition schemes—so the central argument becomes list-like rather than clearly developed. Some links are also awkward or unclear, such as “and, hence, it will be consumed less,” where the reference is not precise. Use separate paragraphs for the counterargument and your response, and connect each recommendation explicitly to reducing sugar consumption.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “processed food,” “dietary values,” “obesity,” and “nutritionists,” and you attempt more specific expressions such as “strength training” and “health problems.” This gives you enough vocabulary to communicate your main ideas. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “priced highly,” “an easier option,” and “steady lifestyle.” There are also spelling errors such as “feasable,” “healtheier,” and “introdued,” which reduce the accuracy of the writing. Aim for more natural academic phrasing and check spelling carefully; precise expressions will make your argument clearer and more convincing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which causes many health problems” and a conditional construction explaining what a price rise might achieve. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur across the response. For example, “due to many processed food and drinks contain” needs a noun phrase after “due to” or a different clause structure, while “large amount of sugar in it” has problems with number and agreement. The sentence beginning “It is suggested that…” also shifts awkwardly between “products” and “it.” Review subject–verb agreement, articles, plural forms and sentence boundaries, and proofread punctuation around lists and colons.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.