Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Doctors tell us that we can get all the vitamins we need from having a healthy diet. Despite this advice, some people continue to spend large sums of money on vitamin pills.

Why do you think some people spend a lot of money on vitamin pills?

How could people be persuaded to improve their diet instead of buying vitamin pills?

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

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Nowadays, staying healthy is a trend. Although medical professionals suggest that a nutritious diet is enough to get the necessary vitamins, many individuals prefer to pay extra for vitamin supplements. I opine that when relying on junk food as a diet, the public chooses to obtain nutrition from external sources. Normal people can be encouraged to improve their food habits rather than depending on supplements by making healthy food palatable.

To commence with, the key reason for taking external pills is the habit of having fast food as a meal. Normal people are often busy with their work and prefer to have junk meals that are easily accessible and low in cost. For instance, workers prefer to have a sandwich for breakfast as they can carry it effortlessly. Since street food is unhealthy, it can not provide ample nutrition, which is required for the human body. Consequently, they have no choice but to rely on vitamin pills.

Nevertheless, it is never too late to switch people's diet from junk to a healthy one. A few steps should be taken to mitigate this situation. Firstly, chefs should make nutritious food that is delicious in taste and looks edible; then it can replace unhealthy food. Following this, individuals might choose this food instead of supplements. Secondly, the government should implement high taxes on the purchase of vitamin bottles. So, the public will be left with only one option, which is healthy food. Thus, by following these steps, locals will choose the original nutritional way to stay fit.

In a nutshell, even though people's dietary habits include unhealthy food, which pushes them to buy vitamin supplements at a high cost, individuals will improve their diet if nutritious meals can be made tasty, and heavy taxes will be imposed on supplement purchases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both questions and maintain a clear overall position: people rely on supplements because their eating habits are poor, while tastier healthy meals and higher taxes could encourage change. The explanation about busy workers choosing accessible, inexpensive food is relevant, and the sandwich example gives it some support. However, the claim that people have “no choice” but to take pills is too absolute and not fully explained; other reasons, such as convenience, advertising, or beliefs about supplements, could also be considered. The proposed measures are clear, but the tax idea needs more discussion of how it would change behaviour or avoid disadvantaging people who need supplements. More balanced development would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear structure, with an introduction, a paragraph explaining the cause, a paragraph proposing solutions, and a concise conclusion. Ideas generally progress logically, and signposts such as “To commence with,” “Firstly,” and “Secondly” help readers follow the argument. The links between points are mostly clear, including the move from unhealthy meals to inadequate nutrition and then supplement use. At times, however, the progression feels somewhat formulaic, and some references are broad: “this situation” could identify the problem more precisely. The conclusion repeats the main points rather than drawing them together in a more developed way. Varying transitions and making links between claims explicit would make the organisation more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “nutritious diet,” “vitamin supplements,” “accessible,” and “implement high taxes.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, such as “staying healthy is a trend,” “external pills,” “looks edible,” and “the original nutritional way.” “Normal people” is also vague and may sound inappropriate when you mean the general public. These choices do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Prefer familiar, accurate collocations and use topic-specific terms consistently; for example, distinguish between a balanced diet, processed food, and dietary supplements.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses (“Although medical professionals suggest…”) and conditional structures (“if nutritious meals can be made tasty”). Most sentences are understandable, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. Some grammatical errors remain. In “when relying on junk food as a diet,” the opening phrase does not clearly attach to a subject; “when people rely on junk food” would be clearer. “It can not provide” should be written as “it cannot provide,” and “the public will be left with only one option” is an overly absolute construction rather than a grammatical error, so consider a more measured sentence. Review clause construction and sentence phrasing to improve control while retaining your range.

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