Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-07

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

People should never eat meat because raising animals for human consumption is cruel.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.5)

There is an ongoing debate over whether meat consumption should be banned because keeping animals for food is considered inhumane. I partially agree with this view because animals suffer during the rearing process; however, meat is an important source of protein and other essential nutrients.

Meat consumption should be reduced because animals are often kept in confined spaces where they are unable to move freely. During the rearing process, farmers may use medicines and other substances to accelerate the growth of livestock, which can negatively affect their welfare. For example, chickens raised for meat are often kept in intensive farming systems where they have limited space to move and live in unnatural conditions. As a result, consuming meat can contribute to animal suffering.

On the other hand, meat is an important source of protein and other essential nutrients, which are required for maintaining good health. The human body needs an adequate amount of protein every day to support muscle growth, repair tissues and maintain normal bodily functions. Although plant-based foods also provide protein, some people find meat a convenient and effective way to meet their nutritional requirements. For example, individuals with higher protein needs often include foods such as chicken, fish and eggs in their diets as part of a balanced meal. Therefore, completely banning meat may not be practical, as it remains a convenient source of essential nutrients for many people.

In conclusion, although raising animals for human consumption can involve considerable cruelty and suffering, I believe that completely banning meat is not a practical solution. Meat remains an important source of protein and other essential nutrients; therefore, improving animal welfare and farming practices would be a more reasonable approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response clearly addresses all parts of the prompt. You establish a clear position from the introduction, stating that you partially agree with the statement. The essay is well-balanced, dedicating one paragraph to the ethical concerns regarding animal welfare and another to the nutritional necessity of meat. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently extended with examples, such as the mention of intensive farming systems and the specific nutritional needs of individuals. The conclusion effectively synthesizes your position, suggesting a middle-ground approach of improving farming practices rather than a total ban. This demonstrates a well-developed argument that fully satisfies the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the ethical argument and the nutritional argument is smooth, facilitated by the phrase 'On the other hand'. You make effective use of cohesive devices such as 'As a result', 'Although', and 'Therefore' to link sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. The flow of the argument is consistent, and the relationship between ideas is always clear, which makes the text easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'intensive farming systems', 'nutritional requirements', and 'unnatural conditions' are used accurately and appropriately in context. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it occasionally leans towards common collocations. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated or less common lexical items to add nuance to your arguments. However, the current range is more than adequate for the task, and there are no errors in word choice that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as the use of conditional and concessive clauses (e.g., 'Although plant-based foods also provide protein, some people find...'). The grammar is generally accurate, with the majority of sentences being error-free. Punctuation is used correctly to support the structure of your arguments. There are no significant grammatical errors that hinder understanding. To improve further, you could experiment with a wider variety of advanced structures, such as inverted sentences or more complex passive constructions, to demonstrate even greater flexibility.

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

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