Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-20

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)

Nowadays, people are inclined towards eating ready-made food from restaurants or packaged foods rather than relying on home based food. The prominent advantages of using prepared food include saving time and excluding a more responsibility from daily routine life. Whereas on the other hand, it can create nutritional deficiencies among the consumers and can be an extra burden on the pocket.

Processed foods bought from grocery stores or restaurants can save a lot of time for a person who is already occupied with a strict schedule . For example, for a person who has to get up early in the morning, rush to the gym and later to go to the work, it becomes very difficult to allocate some specific time for cooking. Furthermore, it is like an extra responsibility to a person ho has already more important tasks to perform whether they are related to work, domestic life or self care. Like many women in Asian households not only take care of their children and the elderly of the house but also perform all the chores themselves without any external help. That is why utilizing the option of pre-cooked food is a sensible choice for them.

On the other, individuals who become completely reliant on the processed or ready-made food often end up into physical and mental weaknesses. They usually become deprived of the essential proteins, vitamins and minerals required for growth or maintaining regular weight and health especially in the growing children. For instance, according to a recent diet and nutrition survey done among the Pakistani adolescents tells us that children who are exposed to limited diets options with preformed foods are usually subjected to retarded growths in their bone structures. In addition to this, excessive eating from out can also disturb one's budget and can result in no savings. This can be appealing for occasionally dining out or using convenient food for the reasons discussed above but doing it on a regular basis can be financially burdensome.

In conclusion, processed or pre-cooked meals can beneficial for saving time and excluding any additional responsibility for cooking for busy people . At the same time, consuming such meals for a longer time on a daily basis can be detrimental to one's health and money.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly identifying both advantages (time-saving, reduced responsibility) and disadvantages (nutritional deficiencies, financial burden). The position is consistent throughout. Ideas are well-developed, particularly the example regarding Asian households and the reference to a nutrition survey, which adds credibility to the argument. The response is balanced, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that the development of the disadvantages is as detailed as the advantages, as the discussion on financial burden is slightly less elaborated than the health aspect.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the advantages and disadvantages is handled well using phrases like 'Whereas on the other hand' and 'On the other'. Cohesive devices are used effectively, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the argument. Referencing is generally clear, and the flow of the essay is smooth, allowing the reader to follow the argument without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for some precision. You have used some good collocations such as 'nutritional deficiencies', 'financially burdensome', and 'strict schedule'. There are occasional minor inaccuracies, such as 'excluding a more responsibility' (should be 'reducing responsibility') and 'end up into physical and mental weaknesses' (should be 'end up with'). While the range is adequate, incorporating more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions would elevate the score further. Overall, the vocabulary is clear and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over complex sentences, such as the use of conditional and relative clauses. However, there are several grammatical errors, including 'ho has' (who has), 'can beneficial' (can be beneficial), and 'survey... tells us' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some unnecessary spaces before periods. While these errors are noticeable, they do not significantly impede the reader's understanding of the main points.

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