Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-12

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)

Some people believe that stress faced by people in the current era is greater in the current period than the stress faced by previous generations, while other individuals might argue that previous generations had an increased amount of stress than in the present but the idea of suffering from stress did not exist. In my opinion stress faced by the current generation is greater than the stress faced by the people in the previous era due to the fact that the current lifestyle has become increasingly demanding resulting to the increase in stress.

On the one hand, the stress faced by the previous generation cannot be neglected. Stress is a natural human response which is triggered when an individual is in a difficult situation, therefore earlier generations also experienced stress either due to their workplace or home environments. However, talking about stress openly was treated as a weakness and thus the idea of suffering from stress was neglected by the earlier generations.

On the other hand, the overall change in lifestyle of people has led to a more demanding and stressfull work- life environment in the current period. The drastic increase in familial and work related resposibilites has increased the amount of stress endured by people. Moreover, the idea of talking about stress openly has been normalised thus the idea of suffering from stress is more well known.

In conclusion, individuals in every era faced stress in different ways but the individuals in the current generation are facing an increased amount of stress due to switching to a demanding lifestyle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a clear opinion: you argue that current lifestyles create greater stress, while acknowledging that earlier generations also experienced it but were less open about discussing it. This covers the main parts of the prompt. However, the ideas remain general and are not sufficiently supported: for example, “familial and work related responsibilities” are said to have increased, but you give no specific example or explanation of how they create greater pressure today. The earlier-generation view is also treated briefly, mainly through the claim that stress was seen as weakness. Develop each side with a concrete example and explain why it supports your position; this would make the response more fully addressed and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction with your position, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The progression from earlier generations to present-day pressures is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help orient the reader. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent arrangement and shows some of the flexibility associated with stronger cohesion. However, links between claims are sometimes mechanical, and ideas within paragraphs are not always developed in a connected sequence. For instance, the point that stress is more widely discussed today is added without clearly distinguishing increased awareness from an actual increase in stress. Use more precise referencing and explain the relationship between each supporting point and your argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “natural human response,” “difficult situation,” “demanding,” and “normalised,” so the topic is generally communicated clearly. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “the overall change in lifestyle.” However, the range is limited by repeated wording—especially “stress,” “current,” and “previous generations”—and some collocations or forms are inaccurate. Examples include “stressfull work- life environment,” “familial … resposibilites,” and “increased amount of stress than,” which reduce precision and polish. Aim for more varied, natural expressions and check spelling and word forms. More accurate collocations would help you express comparisons and causes with greater control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses with “which,” “when,” and “due to the fact that.” Most sentences remain understandable, and errors rarely prevent the reader from following your meaning. Some grammatical issues persist, however. In the opening, “greater … than the stress faced” creates an awkward comparison structure; later, “resulting to the increase” uses an incorrect pattern, and “the idea … was neglected” does not clearly express the intended meaning. The long opening sentence also carries several ideas and would be clearer if divided or reshaped. Continue practising accurate comparative structures and verb patterns, while varying sentence forms and checking punctuation.

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