Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-23

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 7.5)

It is often argued that people today experience greater levels of stress than in the past, making it one of the most serious issues in modern society. However, others believe that stress has always existed and that previous generations faced even greater pressures, although they did not describe their experiences as "stress". This essay will discuss both views before explaining why I believe that stress has become more widespread in today's world.

On the one hand, some people argue that modern life places individuals under constant pressure. Many employees work long hours to achieve career success while also trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance. In addition, students face intense academic competition, and the rapid development of technology means that people are expected to remain connected to work even after office hours. Social media also contributes to stress, as many individuals compare themselves with others and feel pressure to meet unrealistic standards of success and appearance. As a result, stress has become a common part of everyday life.

On the other hand, some believe that stress is not a new phenomenon. In the past, people often faced more severe challenges, including poverty, wars, limited medical facilities, and financial insecurity. Many individuals worked in physically demanding jobs with little protection or job security. Despite these hardships, the concept of mental health was not widely recognised, and people rarely described their emotional difficulties as stress. Therefore, it may appear that previous generations experienced less stress simply because they lacked the vocabulary and awareness to discuss it openly.

In my opinion, although earlier generations undoubtedly encountered significant hardships, people today are exposed to a greater variety of psychological pressures. Modern lifestyles demand continuous productivity, constant communication, and frequent adaptation to technological and social changes. Consequently, while the nature of stress has changed over time, its overall impact on contemporary society is more significant than ever.

In conclusion, although previous generations experienced considerable difficulties, I believe that modern society creates more frequent and complex sources of stress. Therefore, the view that people suffer from greater stress today is more convincing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have clearly discussed both perspectives—the view that modern stress is a major problem and the counter-argument that previous generations faced equal or greater hardships without the label of 'stress'. Your own position is clearly stated in the introduction and consistently maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the contrast between modern psychological pressures like 'constant communication' and historical physical hardships. The arguments are logical and supported by relevant examples, such as the impact of social media and the nature of historical labor, which demonstrates a high level of task engagement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the transition between the two viewpoints and your own opinion is smooth. You make effective use of cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', 'Consequently', and 'In conclusion', which guide the reader through your argument without being repetitive or mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the response. The logical flow is consistent from the introduction to the final summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary that allows for precise expression. Phrases such as 'intense academic competition', 'financial insecurity', and 'complex sources of stress' show a good command of topic-specific language. You use less common items effectively, such as 'phenomenon' and 'unrealistic standards', and your word choice is generally accurate and natural. There are no significant errors in collocation or spelling that impede communication, and the vocabulary is well-suited to the academic nature of the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The essay displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses (e.g., 'Although earlier generations undoubtedly encountered significant hardships, people today are exposed to a greater variety of psychological pressures'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and verb tenses is excellent. There are no noticeable grammatical slips that distract the reader, and the sentence variety keeps the writing engaging and sophisticated throughout the response.

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