Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays it's possible for people to buy many products or pay for treatments that help them to look younger.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

In the modern epoch, individuals want to keep themselves younger and good-looking with the use of cosmetic products. Nowadays, there are numerious cosmetics products or treatments accessible to people who want to look younger. It is easily possible. However, it is a bad thing in my opinion. I will elaborate on the reasons in the subsequent paragraph with an opinion at the end.

To begin with, the core reason for considering the bad thing about buying cosmetic products or treatments is very expensive. These kinds of treatments are so expensive that middle-class families may not even think of doing them. Additionally, it is for temporary purposes. Thus, it cannot be proven as value for money. To cite an example, the bridal makeover treatment costs around a couple of thousand dollars. This makeover may last one day. This kind of frequent expense makes people materialistic as well financial instable. This justifies why it is consideration under bad thing.

Furthermore, another reason is that dangerous for the skin. Cosmetic products contain chemicals that can harm people with sensitive skin. Some kinds of acids are used in the beauty products that we buy. However, people do not know whether they will be suitable for their skin or not. As a consequence, people might experience side effects such as irritation, redness, and dryness on the skin. This shows again that beauty products can be harmful if people do not know whether their bodies accept them.

To recapitulate, it is vital that people can transform themselves by doing treatments or using beauty products. However, I consider as a bad habit, as it contains harmful chemicals and is not value for money.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that buying products and treatments to look younger is a negative thing, and provides two main supporting arguments: financial cost and skin damage. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the point regarding expense is supported by a brief example of a bridal makeover, but the extension remains basic. Similarly, the argument about skin damage mentions chemicals and side effects like irritation and redness, but lacks deeper elaboration or varied examples. The introduction and conclusion are formulaic and brief. These limitations align closely with the Band 6 descriptor, where all parts of the task are addressed, but some ideas are somewhat under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement with basic paragraphing. The writer attempts to guide the reader using transition markers such as 'To begin with', 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'To recapitulate'. However, some cohesive devices and referencing are faulty or awkward, such as 'considering the bad thing about buying... is very expensive' and 'I consider as a bad habit'. Paragraphing is present with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, though the transitions between ideas can feel slightly mechanical. Progression is generally discernible, but the awkward phrasing occasionally obscures the logical flow. This performance fits the Band 6 profile well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'cosmetic products', 'materialistic', and 'side effects'. However, there are notable word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors throughout the essay, including 'numerious' (numerous), 'financial instable' (financially unstable), and 'consideration under bad thing'. While these lexical inaccuracies and awkward word formations are noticeable, they do not severely impede overall communication. The vocabulary range and control are consistent with a Band 6 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over basic structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'the core reason for considering the bad thing about buying... is very expensive', 'it cannot be proven as value for money', and 'it is vital that people can transform themselves'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips occur across multiple sentences, occasionally forcing the reader to re-read parts of the text. Because the errors are frequent yet rarely completely obstruct meaning, the response sits comfortably at Band 5.5.

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

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