Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10

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 5.5)

It is always recommended by doctors that all required vitamins for our body can be attained from a healthy diet. However, a part of world still buys vitamin supplements by spending a huge amount. I believe busy lifestyle and lack of awareness are key reasons behind people's tendency to take vitamin pills which can be alltered by using readymade meal and creating awareness from school level.

People nowadays have a tight schedule in their daily routine which makes it hard to plan and prepare healthy meals for themselves. Consequently, they go with an easier option of having nutrients from supplements. In my suggestion, folks can adjust their timetable by including some ready-to-go meals that need their little efforts. For example, a whole grain bread with 50 grams of toffu can satisfy their Carbohydrate as well as Protein needs.

The other prominent factor could be less knowledge about all food sources of healthy nutrients and their required proportion in a complete food required by our body. To handle this situation, there should be well designed lessons in school syllabus where children can learn about a healthy diet. Furthermore, they will discuss the same wih their parents and encourage them to include all required food items in their meals.

I belive creating awareness and adjusting healthy menu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both questions by identifying a busy lifestyle and limited nutritional knowledge as reasons for buying supplements, then suggesting convenient meals and school-based education. These ideas are relevant, but they are not developed evenly: the example of bread and tofu illustrates a quick meal, while the explanation of how this would persuade people to stop buying pills remains brief. The response also ends with the incomplete sentence, “I belive creating awareness and adjusting healthy menu,” so there is no clear, finished conclusion or final summary of your position. The response is 35 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to explain your reasons and examples. Develop each point further and complete the essay with a concise conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, one paragraph about time pressure, and another about nutritional knowledge. Sequencing phrases such as “Consequently,” “The other prominent factor,” and “Furthermore” help show how ideas relate. However, the final line is incomplete and interrupts the progression, leaving the essay without a proper conclusion. Some links between claims and solutions could also be made more explicit: for example, explain how ready-to-go meals would be a practical alternative to supplements, rather than moving quickly from the problem to the suggestion. Use a complete concluding paragraph and clearer transitions between each reason and its corresponding solution to make the overall progression more effective.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “vitamin supplements,” “tight schedule,” “nutrients,” and “creating awareness.” These choices make the main ideas understandable, and phrases such as “ready-to-go meals” show an attempt to use specific language. Some expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, however, such as “a part of world,” “attained from a healthy diet,” and “their required proportion in a complete food.” There are also spelling errors, including “alltered,” “wih,” and “belive,” which reduce the accuracy of the writing. Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; for instance, use “some people” and “obtained from a healthy diet” rather than the less idiomatic phrases in the introduction.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and several sentences communicate their meaning clearly, such as “People nowadays have a tight schedule in their daily routine which makes it hard to plan and prepare healthy meals.” Subordinate clauses introduced by “which,” “where,” and “that” show some range. Some grammatical errors remain, including “all required vitamins for our body” and “their little efforts,” where articles or number forms need attention. The final sentence, “I belive creating awareness and adjusting healthy menu,” is incomplete and lacks a clear grammatical structure. Check sentence completeness, article use, and singular/plural agreement, while continuing to use complex sentences with clear clause structure.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.