Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-09

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some societies, obesity is regarded as a major problem. Some people believe that junk food advertising is largely to blame for this problem and should be banned. However, others feel that junk food advertising does not contribute to the problem of obesity and should not be banned.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience·and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Obesity means accumulation of fat in your body. All over the world obesity is not seen as a good thing because it can cause physical health to deteriorate. It can be caused due to several factors including eating habits and diseases.

Mostly generations before the Generation-Z believe that obesity is caused due to the popularity of junk food and their advertisement on all platforms. Not everyone has a control on their desire and so the advertisement leads to them giving into their desires. Junk food has many side effects as chemicals are used in it and it adversely affects ones body. Doctors advise people to use less junk and fast food in daily life and to cook healthy food to live a physically well life. Because of these reason, it is believed that advertisement of junk food should be banned.

Other people believe that it is not the advertisement that leads to obesity but the control and discipline one does not have on themselves. Obesity is also caused by the lifestyle many people follow nowadays. We sit all day in offices and home, we do not practice any exercise or physical activity that would help our physical health. These reason lead to the believe that advertisement are not the leading cause of obesity but our own habits and so advertisement should not be banned.

In conclusion, I believe that advertisement might lead you to think about junk food or desire eating them but eventually it is us who have to take a decision on what we want for ourselves. If we want to live a healthy life we can control ourselves and our habits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding junk food advertising is limited to general statements about 'chemicals' and 'desires' without exploring the economic or psychological aspects of marketing. Similarly, the counter-argument regarding lifestyle choices is valid but lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or evidence, such as mentioning the impact of targeted social media ads on children or the role of sedentary work environments in modern society. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments need more elaboration to be fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'Because of these reason' (which contains a grammatical error) and 'Other people believe' are used to transition between paragraphs, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and better referencing. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, but the flow between sentences could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'obesity', 'physical activity', and 'sedentary' (implied by the description of sitting all day). However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'use less junk' instead of 'consume less' or 'avoid'. There are also minor errors in word form, such as 'the believe' instead of 'the belief'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and academic vocabulary to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include 'advertisement on all platforms' (should be plural), 'ones body' (missing apostrophe), 'Because of these reason' (should be 'reasons'), and 'desire eating them' (should be 'desiring to eat them'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, pluralization, and the correct use of possessive apostrophes. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will also help.

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

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