Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-12

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

A growing number of people rely on restaurants and convenience food (frozen food and packaged meals) rather than home-cooked food to supply most of their meals.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of eating this way?

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

Student answer (Band 7.0)

It has become a popular trend of consuming restaurant food and food that requires less effort to cook, such as frozen or packaged options, over homemade food. Although this type of food is cost-effective, it has devastating health concerns if it is consumed on a regular basis.

Considering the advantages first, restaurant and frozen food options provide extra free time to people, as they can just order food online and pick up from the food outlet when it is ready. However, if people need to prepare a meal at home, they would have to do multiple tasks, including chopping, frying, baking or grilling, which require considerable time. Therefore, most people who are working full-time and have less free time to prepare food choose this option. Moreover, the ready-made food is often less costly compared to making food at home because people have to purchase various ingredients to cook a dish. For example, in some cities, most of the students and working professionals book a monthly tiffin service from restaurants due to a lack of time and as a cheaper option.

Despite having benefits, this trend has some drawbacks too, the primary one is that consuming food from outside regularly can affect physical health in a negative way. Since this type of food consists of high sugar and calories, and less fibre and nutrition, those who eat it are more at risk of diabetes, high blood sugar and obesity. Apart from this, using packaged food also contributes to an unhealthy environment because most of the packaging involves plastic that is hard to dispose of. Thus, if this trend is followed by so many people, that would be another concern for the planet.

In conclusion, undoubtedly, outside food is a convenient option for those who have busy schedules, but people should be conscious about its intake as well as its harmful effects on body.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing clear advantages (time-saving and cost-effectiveness) and disadvantages (health risks and environmental impact). The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are well-supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of 'tiffin services'. The development is logical, though the argument regarding cost-effectiveness could be further nuanced, as restaurant food is often more expensive than home cooking. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Considering the advantages first', 'Moreover', 'Despite having benefits', and 'Thus' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the referencing is generally clear, contributing to a coherent piece of writing that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'convenience food', 'working professionals', 'physical health', and 'disposed of'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, and the word choices are generally precise. While there are no major errors that impede communication, the range could be slightly more sophisticated to reach a higher band. The phrasing is natural and fits the context of the discussion well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally accurate. There are minor slips, such as 'the primary one is that' (which could be improved with a semicolon or a full stop) and 'harmful effects on body' (missing an article). However, these errors are infrequent and do not hinder the reader's understanding. The control over punctuation and sentence variety is solid, supporting a clear and professional tone throughout the response.

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

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