Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-15

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 6.5)

It is undeniable that increasing reliance on restaurants and convenience food has become a matter of considerable debate in recent years. While some people content that consuming food out side and having ready made meals offer greater convenience, others argue that home cooked food is more healthier and beneficial option. From my perspective, although convenience food can save considerable time and efforts, I believe that home made food are more advantages in the long run because they are generally healthier, fresh and best option to control over their diet.

One of the most compelling arguments in favour of convenience food and depend on restaurants is that, it is offers convenience due to the busy lifestyle. This can be attributed largely to the fact that ready-made meals require little or no preparation, allowing individuals to save substantial amount of time. As a result, people who have long working hours can easily obtain a meal without spending hours shopping for ingredient and cooking. For instance, Busy professionals may choose frozen meals after a hectic day at work instead of preparing from scratch. Therefore, it is evident that the convenience and time-saving ready-made food are major factors behind it growing popularity.

on the other hand, another important consideration is that home-cooked meal can offer substantial health benefits. This is particularly because people have greater control over the ingredients, portion size and nutritional value pf their meal. If this trend continues. it could potentially result in healthier eating habits and lower risk of diet-related problems. Nevertheless, it is worth acknowledging that preparing meals at home can be time consuming, particularly for the people with demanding work schedules. Despite this concern, i would argue that long-term health benefits of home-cooked food are likely to outweigh the incoveneinece.

conclusion, although restaurants and convenience foods offer considerable convenience and can save people a substantial amount of time, I remain convinced that home-cooked food is the more beneficial option. This is largely due to its nutritional advantages and the greater control it provides over ingredients and portion sizes. Ultimately, while convenience food may be suitable for busy lifestyles, maintaining a balanced diet through home cooking is essential for long-term health and well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying both advantages and disadvantages of convenience food. The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are generally well-developed, such as the discussion on time-saving for busy professionals and the health benefits of home cooking. However, some points could be extended further to reach a higher band; for example, the health risks of convenience food could be more specifically detailed beyond just mentioning 'diet-related problems'. Overall, the response is focused and relevant, meeting the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, such as the benefits of convenience in the second paragraph and the health advantages of home cooking in the third. Cohesive devices like 'on the other hand', 'for instance', and 'nevertheless' are used to guide the reader. However, there are minor issues with paragraphing, such as the missing 'In' at the start of the final paragraph. Additionally, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, but the overall progression of ideas remains clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision, using terms like 'compelling arguments', 'hectic day', and 'nutritional value'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'more healthier' (a double comparative) and 'best option to control over their diet' (awkward phrasing). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication, it lacks the consistent flexibility and sophisticated control required for a higher band. Spelling is generally accurate, though 'incoveneinece' contains a typo.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'some people content' (should be 'contend'), 'home made food are' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'it is offers' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with sentence fragments like 'If this trend continues. it could...'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching the 7.0 band for grammar. A more careful proofreading of subject-verb agreement and basic sentence construction would improve the score.

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.