Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-08

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)

many people contend that psychological pressure has escalated into a critical modern dilemma, with individuals now experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety.

However, critics opine that the level of mental strain modern people face is overstated, advocating that pressure endured by our ancestors was higher.

In my opinion, admittedly, earlier generations faced immense hardships and mental pressure, however the stress faced by the modern generation is overwhelming and unprecidented, owing to inflation, job insecurity and high crime rates among other issues.

Admittedly, earlier generations were exposed to insurmountable adversities, ranging from war and economic hardhips to the lack of basic infrastructure, Earlier generations were compelled to participate in war ( WW1, WW2, Vietnam war, War on terror) which often resulted in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), shocks, or flashbacks. Moreover, the absence of recognition of mental health did not help the cause.

Lack of development in not only infrastructure but also the medical field resulted in the issues being unaddressed.

For these reasons, some people advocate that the mental strain on modern generation does not hold a candle to the stress faced by the earlier generations.

Conversely, the contemporary generation experiences psychological pressure at an unprecedented level. Admittedly, the physical tribulations faced in the modern era are comparatively less severe than those endured by our ancestors, especially given the advancements in medicine and the widespread recognition of mental health. Nevertheless, statistics regarding self-harm and, unfortunately, suicide rates remain at an alarming high. Although access to mental health professionals is easier than ever before, the modern generation's underlying struggles do not seem to be resolving. For instance, observations of modern youth reveal a worrying trend where individuals succumb to severe depressive episodes despite available support. This suggests that society has not yet fully persevered on the path to managing mental well-being effectively, largely due to unique modern catalysts ranging from economic hardship and job insecurity to toxic peer pressure and cyberbullying.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both perspectives and gives a clear position: earlier generations faced severe hardship, but modern pressures are also overwhelming. The discussion is relevant and supported with examples, including wartime trauma, limited recognition of mental health, job insecurity and cyberbullying. This range of supporting points helps extend the argument. However, some claims are broad rather than fully substantiated—for example, the reference to self-harm and suicide rates gives no specific evidence, and the example about young people experiencing depression remains general. The conclusion is also implicit rather than clearly summarising the comparison and opinion. Develop one or two examples more precisely and end with a concise statement that weighs the two views.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on past pressures and a contrasting paragraph on modern pressures. Transitions such as “Admittedly” and “Conversely” help signal the relationship between the views. However, progression within paragraphs is not consistently smooth. The first body paragraph repeats “Earlier generations” and moves from war to infrastructure and then to a general conclusion without clearly linking each point. The final paragraph also contains several ideas—healthcare, suicide, youth depression and economic pressures—that could be grouped and sequenced more deliberately. Punctuation problems, including the comma splice after “infrastructure,” interrupt the flow. Use clearer topic sentences, more precise referencing and paragraph-level links to make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a broad range of vocabulary and several less common expressions appropriately, including “psychological pressure,” “insurmountable adversities,” “economic hardship” and “job insecurity.” This allows you to discuss the topic with some precision and an appropriately formal tone. There are occasional spelling and collocation problems, such as “unprecidented,” “hardhips,” and “statistics … remain at an alarming high.” Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise: “shocks” is unclear in the list of trauma effects, while “persevered on the path” does not express the intended idea naturally. Check spelling carefully and favour established collocations. More precise wording would strengthen an already varied vocabulary without making the prose sound overly elaborate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of sentence forms, including complex clauses with “although,” “which” and “given,” and many sentences communicate their meaning clearly. This shows a developing ability to handle more than simple structures. However, some errors in sentence boundaries and punctuation remain. The sentence beginning “Admittedly, earlier generations were exposed…” ends with a comma and is followed by a capitalised continuation, creating a faulty boundary; the opening opinion sentence also joins contrasting clauses with a comma. The parenthetical list of wars is not punctuated smoothly, and the final sentence is long enough to benefit from clearer clause control. Review comma splices, sentence boundaries and punctuation around inserted examples. Greater consistency in these areas would make the complex structures more controlled.

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