Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-20

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)

In contemporary society, stress has become a major menace. Some believe that people suffer more from stress these days as compared to the past whereas other people believe that the previous generation had more stress with the exhaustion of nowadays been exaggerated. However, the stress experience from the the past was majorly attributed to increased farming to provide for the family and birth process for the women, where as the exhaustion in recent times can be attributed to both psychological and physical pain. In my opinion, I believe that the stress from recent time outweighs the previous generation’s as both the mind and body becomes affected. These points will be discussed in the following paragraphs with relevant examples followed by a logical conclusion.

To begin with, the past generation majorly had stress relating to agriculture, cultivation, growing crops, harvesting and feeding their families with the produce. This kind of stress encountered had a way of strengthening them and improving their health. The women on the other hand went through the rigorous journey of childbirth which was also a stressful process, however the nature of crops grown naturally and consumed in healthy amounts improved their chances of birthing without complications. This is to say, that there bodies had ways of living through exhaustion without breaking down.

Furthermore, the nature of events experiences nowadays are majorly psychological. People carry the burden of their jobs and fending for their families. Some might not even have jobs that are sufficient enough to cater for their needs and that of their families, this majorly lead to exhaustion and consequently a mental breakdown. Another problem is the increase outbreak of diseases that can occur either due to a technology test or medical experiment, which was not so rampant in the olden days. This on its own can lead to exhaustion expecially when an individual falls sick. For instance, release of poisonous gases as a result of a vaccine test affecting a number of people. They can end up falling sick and requiring medical attention, thereby causing stress on the body. In my opinion, the stress faced in recent times possesses more damage to human than previous stress levels as it affects both the mind and body.

In conclusion, some people believe that, the previous generation experienced more stress than this generation. In my opinion, I believe that this generation experienced more stress as both the mind and body is affected.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The discussion regarding the 'past' is quite simplistic, focusing on physical labor as inherently strengthening, which is a generalization. The argument regarding modern stress is slightly disjointed, particularly the transition to 'outbreak of diseases' and 'vaccine tests,' which feels tangential to the core topic of modern societal stress. While the position is consistent, the supporting evidence lacks depth and logical cohesion in the second body paragraph, preventing it from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the internal flow within the second body paragraph is weak. For example, the jump from job-related stress to 'outbreak of diseases' lacks a smooth logical bridge. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing and sentence-level cohesion, such as the repetitive use of 'this' to refer to broad concepts, which occasionally makes the progression feel slightly disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'contemporary society,' 'menace,' and 'rigorous journey.' However, there are also instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'the nature of events experiences' (should be 'experienced') and 'possesses more damage' (should be 'causes more damage'). Spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on repetitive phrasing like 'exhaustion' and 'stress' throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the fluency of the text. Examples include 'the the past' (repetition), 'there bodies' (should be 'their'), 'increase outbreak' (should be 'increased'), and 'expecially' (spelling). Subject-verb agreement is occasionally problematic, such as 'both the mind and body becomes affected' (should be 'become'). While these errors do not prevent communication, they occur with enough frequency to limit the score to a 6.0, as the control over complex structures is not consistent.

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

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