Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-25

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 5.5)

It has been analysed that people nowadays most oftenly prefers to purchase frozen packed food and eat fast food at cafes instead of cooking at home just like old times. Although, it is move convenient to eat ready made food as it reduce time and effort. People can eat their breakfast while on their way to office or workplace. However, no one can deny that these foods are not healthier as compare to home-cooked food.

One can say that the main reason for so many people adapting this culture is their busy schedule. Approximately everyone who is doing a job or running a business are trying to save their time and choose to do multitask such has travelling to their workplace while having breakfast. Eventually it helps them to save time and to reach their destiny on time with having any delay. Same scenario repeats for the evening meals. For instance, if someone has to travel 30 miles on daily basis to reach the office. After spending a long hectic day full no one has courage to cook the food after coming back from the job. Instaed they would avail their of 30 miles journey duration by purchasing packed food from outside their office and enjoy their dinner while coming back to home. Some people also prefer to buy frozen food bacuse it can be cooked easily which saves their time and energy both.

People may deny but a healty lifestyle is most imporant thing nowadays. As pollution is increasing day by day, packaged and frozen food are not as cleaned as it seems to be. however, home-cooked food is more clean in every aspect. Although, in this fast moving work nobody can manage a cooperate schedule and healthy lifestyle both at the same time. Some people give priority to the home-cooked food to keep theirselves healthy. For example, employees who they have flexible working hours or living nearby to their offices are able to cook food at home for breakfast or lunch and cook their dinner after coming back from office.

A hoilistic view of this topic describes that whether it is quite time saving and efficient for everyone to eat food at restaurants or buy frozen food, still there are some disadvantages such as hygiene is not promised. Moreover, it can be concluded that it is totally preference of individual to priorities and opt their health by managing schedule accordingly and avoid frozen food and packaged meals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both advantages and disadvantages and maintain a relevant focus on convenience, time-saving, and health. The examples about eating breakfast while travelling and buying dinner after a long commute help explain why people choose ready-made food. However, the disadvantages receive less development: hygiene is mentioned, but the response does not explain clearly how restaurant, frozen, or packaged food may create health risks, and the claim that home-cooked food is “more clean in every aspect” is too broad. The discussion of people with flexible hours also shifts towards who can cook at home rather than fully developing the disadvantages of relying on convenience food. Develop each side with more precise reasons and examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, paragraphs explaining the reasons for choosing convenience food and the health concern, and a concluding summary. Sequencing is generally understandable, and examples are placed near the ideas they support. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Eventually” does not clearly show the relationship between multitasking and reaching work on time, while “Same scenario repeats” is an awkward transition into the evening example. The paragraph beginning “People may deny” moves between pollution, hygiene, work schedules, and people who cook at home, so its central point becomes less focused. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example directly to the advantage or disadvantage it illustrates.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “frozen food,” “packaged meals,” “busy schedule,” “flexible working hours,” and “hygiene.” These choices make the subject clear, and phrases such as “save time and energy” communicate relevant benefits. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions reduce precision, including “most oftenly prefers,” “reach their destiny,” “avail their of 30 miles journey duration,” and “a cooperate schedule.” Spelling and word-form errors such as “healty,” “imporant,” “bacuse,” and “hoilistic” also stand out. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully; more precise vocabulary would help distinguish convenience, food safety, and nutritional quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a concession in “Although … it is move convenient” and conditional structures such as “if someone has to travel.” This shows some range, and the main message is usually understandable. However, errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction recur. For example, “people … prefers” should use a plural verb, and “it reduce time” needs a singular verb. The sentence beginning “After spending a long hectic day” lacks a clear grammatical subject, while “employees who they have flexible working hours” uses an unnecessary pronoun. Some punctuation and sentence boundaries also need attention. Practise checking each clause for a clear subject and correctly matched verb, especially in longer sentences.

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