Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-02

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 7.5)

The soaring rate of obesity has become a critical public health concern in many modern nations. While a segment of society argues that the agressive marketing of unhealthy food drives this epidemic and demands a total ban on such advertisements, others contend that advertising plays a negligible role in weight gain and should remain unrestricted. In my view, while promotional campaigns certainly encourage unhealthy consumpton habits, banning them alone is an incomplete solution to a multifaceted lifestyle issue.

Proponents of banning junk food advertising argue that these marketing strategies exploit human psychology, particularly among vulnerable demographics like children. Modern media platfroms are saturated with visually captivating commercials that glorify energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, creating artificial cravings and nomalizing unhealthy dietry habits. For instance, fast-food campaigns often pair high-calorie meals with collectible toys or celebrity endorsements, effectively conditioning younger audiances to associate fast food with happiness and reward. Because children lack the cognitive maturity to evaluate nutritional risks, such persuasive tactics directly contribute to childhood obesity and long-term metabolic health issues.

On the other hand, opponents of prohibitation argue that advertising is merely a reflection of consumer demand rather than its primary cause. Obesity is fundamentally a result of prolonged energy imbalance, consuming more calories than one expends, which is influenced by a range of socioeconomic and personal factors. In today's fast-paced world, sedentary lifestyles, long working hours, and the affordabilty and convenience of processed foods play a far more decisive role in weight gain than commercial messaging. Furthermore, from a free-market perspective, prohibiting legal businesses from promoting their products undermines corporate freedom and personal accountability, as individuals ultimately retain autonomy over their food choices.

In conclusion, although advertising indisputably fuels consumer preference for unhealthy food, it is only one of many contributing factors to global obesity. While imposing strict restrictions on junk food commercials, especially during children's programming, is a necessary step. True progress requires a holistic approach that combines public health education, subsidized healthy food options, and the promotion of physically active lifestyle.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.5
Lexical Resource7.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy7.5
Overall7.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on junk food advertising and clearly stating a personal position. The stance is maintained consistently throughout the essay, from the introduction to the conclusion. Ideas are well-extended and supported with relevant explanations, such as the psychological exploitation of children through toys and celebrity endorsements, and the broader socioeconomic factors driving obesity like sedentary lifestyles. While there is a slight tendency to over-generalise regarding market forces and consumer autonomy, the arguments remain fully relevant and thoroughly developed, meeting the high standards expected at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introduction to the two body paragraphs exploring opposing views, and finally to a balanced conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'While a segment', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' are used flexibly and appropriately to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is managed skilfully, ensuring that each major idea is separated and developed logically. Referencing is consistently clear, avoiding any mechanical or repetitive phrasing.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The writer uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision. Less common lexical items such as 'multifaceted lifestyle issue', 'energy-dense, nutrient-poor', 'cognitive maturity', and 'prohibitation' are incorporated with good awareness of style and collocation. Although there are a few minor spelling and word-choice slips like 'agressive', 'consumpton', 'platfroms', 'nomalizing', 'dietry', 'audiances', and 'affordabilty', these do not impede communication and are characteristic of a strong performance that balances ambitious vocabulary choices with occasional errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

A wide variety of complex sentence structures is employed effectively throughout the essay. The writer demonstrates good control of subordination and relative clauses, yielding frequent error-free sentences alongside sophisticated syntactic phrasing. Grammatical control is generally strong, though a few minor errors persist, such as the sentence fragment in the conclusion ('While imposing strict restrictions... is a necessary step. True progress requires...'). Punctuation and verb agreements are otherwise handled very well, supporting clear communication of complex ideas.

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