Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-07-31

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some societies, stress is now regarded as a major problem, and it is thought that people suffer from more stress than they did in the past. However, others feel that the amount of stress people have today is exaggerated. They say that previous generations were under more pressure, but the idea of suffering from stress did not exist.

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.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

In today's society, stress is considered the main reason for all the leading health issues. People think that if a person faces any major health problem, stress is considered the major issue.

It is said that today's generation has more stress than the previous generations faced. This is true to some extent because people are now getting more ambitious. Not only that, but they are now becoming more and more health-conscious. This leads them to be more stressed.

In recent times, not only males but females are also becoming career-oriented; all of them are becoming a money-making machine. In this fast-paced environment, we all wake up and run like clockwork. We don't spare time for ourselves.

Ignoring one's health and chasing dreams is our utmost priority. Seeing someone become successful also makes a person work harder, adding to their stress level. Adding to this, now everything has been so expensive: house rent, maintenance, grocery bills, health care. To survive all these expenses, a person runs all day to earn and fulfill duties.

When we talk about our elders' generation, during those days everything was quite affordable, and women were happily looking after kids and the house. Men used to work hard and provide for the family. People didn't chase big dreams and were satisfied with what they had.

They did not suffer from mental breakdowns, nor did they suffer from any depression or trauma. Coming back to this generation, people are becoming more competitive. Thus, in my opinion, stress is not exaggerated, but people are actually suffering due to many reasons.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both views presented in the prompt and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that modern life is fast-paced and expensive, the discussion regarding the opposing view—that stress is exaggerated—is quite brief and relies on generalizations about the past. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific evidence or nuanced analysis for both perspectives. The essay covers all parts of the task, but the arguments could be extended further to demonstrate a deeper exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. There is a clear progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the final conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Not only that, but...', 'Adding to this...'). Some transitions between sentences feel abrupt, and the connection between the idea of 'health-conscious' people and increased stress is not fully explained. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would enhance the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'career-oriented', 'fast-paced environment', and 'competitive'. However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice and slightly informal phrasing, such as 'money-making machine' and 'run like clockwork', which are idiomatic but perhaps not the most academic choices for this context. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of academic collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'everything has been so expensive' (should be 'is') and 'during those days everything was quite affordable' (slightly awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some minor errors in sentence construction. The majority of your sentences are understandable, but the control over complex structures is inconsistent. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining the use of tenses will help improve your accuracy.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.