Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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)

In most countries, doctors and pediatricians advise folks to include healthy food in their diet. While on other hand, most people are keep buying expensive vitamin pills and other supplements for their vitamin intake. There are several reasons for this, which I will discuss in the following paragraph.

First of all, some individuals are very busy in their hectic work life and they do not have enough time to prepare healthy meals for themselves. As a result, they end up spending money on vitamin pills. Secondly, nowadays, we constantly hear news about contamination of fresh vegetables and fruits. This can make people concerned about getting essential vitamins and minerals from natural food. Sometimes, consuming contaminated food can cause various illnesses instead of providing nutrition. Because of this, some people may lose trust in fresh foods and choose supplements as an alternative source of nutrition. Lastly, groceries, particularly fruits and vegetables, are becoming increasingly expensive. Exotic fruits and vegetables can be especially costly, making it difficult for some people to include them regularly in their diets. Therefore, they may prefer to buy vitamin pills, which are often cheaper and more convenient.

To encourage people on healthy eating, government and health organizations can raise awareness about the benefits of healthy diet. They could organize campaigns to explain that a balance diet can provide essential vitamins and minerals naturally and also improve people's overall health. In addition, healthy foods should be more affordable and accessible. For example, supermarkets could offer discounts on fresh fruits and vegetables, while governments could provide financial support to make nutritious foods cheaper. These measures would encourage people to choose healthy food instead of relying heavily on vitamin pills.

To conclude, people buy vitamin pills because they are busy and find them convenient. However, with proper education and affordable healthy food, people can be encouraged to improve their diet instead of relying on supplements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing clear reasons for the popularity of vitamin pills (time constraints, health concerns, and cost) and logical suggestions for improvement (education and affordability). The ideas are relevant and well-developed, with clear supporting points for each argument. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific examples or personal anecdotes to further illustrate the points, as the current examples are somewhat general. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all,' 'Secondly,' 'In addition,' and 'To conclude' are used effectively to link ideas. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the slightly awkward transition 'While on other hand' in the introduction. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the reader's understanding of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task, allowing for clear communication of ideas. The student uses some topic-specific vocabulary like 'contamination,' 'essential minerals,' and 'nutritious.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'are keep buying' (should be 'keep buying') and 'raise awareness about the benefits of healthy diet' (missing an article: 'a healthy diet'). While the vocabulary is adequate, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'are keep buying' and 'a balance diet' (should be 'a balanced diet'). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and verb forms. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication or cause confusion for the reader. The student shows a good attempt at using complex sentences, but more consistent control over grammatical accuracy is needed to move into the higher bands.

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

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