Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-12

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 6.0)

While In some societies, it is thought that people suffer from more stress than they did in the past, there are others that argue the amount of stress people have today is exaggerated. I agree with the prior opinion, because in today's society everything is monitored, creating a stressful environment for both workers and children, and also there are more expectations put on people. In the digital society that people live in now, every task, decision, and mistake is monitored and evaluated by technology. This puts pressure on people to perform perfect tasks, which is sometimes impossible to do. In the past, although there most likely was stress in similar environments, nothing was monitored, so people felt less pressure to do everything perfectly. Additionally, this generation faces more stressful events because previous generations compare their success with this generation, although there are fundamental changes in society. For example, nowadays, people cannot buy as many things as they could in the past with the same amount of money. Older generations say that people just need to work more to get a larger pay so that they can afford things, however this is not the case, and all this does is create stress for younger people who are struggling to even pay rent. In conclusion, stress is a major problem faced today, and the amount of stress people have is not exaggerated. Although the idea of suffering from stress may not have existed in the past, the amount of stress people have today is significantly larger.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, particularly the discussion on digital monitoring and economic pressures. However, the development is somewhat limited. The argument regarding the 'lack of terminology' for stress in the past is mentioned but not fully explored, and the essay could benefit from more specific examples or deeper analysis of why previous generations might have felt less pressure. While the position is consistent, the essay feels slightly brief in its exploration of the opposing view, which prevents it from reaching the higher band descriptors for full development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally,' 'For example,' and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, the paragraphing is somewhat unbalanced; the second body paragraph is quite long and contains multiple distinct points that could have been separated for better flow. Furthermore, some transitions are a bit mechanical. While the progression of ideas is clear, the overall structure lacks the sophisticated, seamless flow required for a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. You use terms like 'monitored,' 'evaluated,' and 'fundamental changes' effectively. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on repetitive phrasing, such as 'amount of stress' and 'people.' There is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions that would demonstrate a more sophisticated control of the language. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations related to the topic of societal pressure and mental well-being.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You successfully use subordinate clauses, such as 'While in some societies, it is thought that...' and 'Although the idea of suffering from stress may not have existed...'. There are minor grammatical slips, such as 'perform perfect tasks' (which should be 'perform tasks perfectly') and the slightly awkward opening 'While In some societies'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and errors do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, you should aim for a greater variety of complex structures and ensure higher precision in word order and adverb placement.

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

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