Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-26

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 6.0)

In recent years, ready-made restaurant food has become popular among the majority of people. While this offers several benefits, it has certain disadvantages. In this essay, I will discuss both the benefits and drawbacks of eating out rather than eating homemade food before concluding.

There are several advantages of eating food from outside. Firstly, this is convenient who have busy lifestyles because it means not spending a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare meals after work or studies, and people can rest and enjoy some valuable time with family and friends. For example, ordering food from outside is beneficial for working women and students who have hectic schedules. Therefore, they can not only save time but also spend time on their hobbies. Another benefit is that fast food is accessible and affordable. While eating at a restaurant, people can have meals at reasonable prices.

On the other hand, consuming fast food has some disadvantages. The main drawback is that it impacts people's health. While eating processed food, people face various health issues. Furthermore, if they eat homemade food, it is delicious, and they can make it according to their taste, such as less salty and less sugary. So, they can stay fit and healthy by eating healthy food. Apart from this, home-cooked food is more delicious as comp

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both the advantages and disadvantages of relying on convenience food. However, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence, which prevents a full development of the final points and a proper conclusion. Because the response is only 220 words, it fails to meet the minimum 250-word requirement. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, as the final paragraph is truncated and lacks a summary. To improve, you must ensure you complete your arguments and provide a clear, balanced conclusion while meeting the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Another benefit', and 'On the other hand' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the abrupt ending disrupts the overall flow and coherence of the piece. The referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a concluding paragraph makes the structure feel unfinished. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that the essay concludes with a summary of your main points.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'hectic schedules', 'processed food', and 'convenience'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the use of 'food' and 'eating'. There are also minor issues with collocation, such as 'eating food from outside', which would be more naturally expressed as 'eating out' or 'relying on takeaway meals'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and avoid repeating the same basic nouns and verbs throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'this is convenient who have busy lifestyles', which is missing a subject or relative pronoun (e.g., 'this is convenient for those who have...'). Additionally, there are minor errors in phrasing, such as 'they can not only save time but also spend time on their hobbies'. While these errors do not generally impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider variety of complex grammatical forms.

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

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