Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
These days, most of the people are taking diverse kinds of vitamin supplements to improve their health. Others say there are other ways that are also possible, like a healthy diet. Now I will discuss both ways in the upcoming paragraphs.
One of the main advantages of having vitamin is getting good results easily. In today's globalized world, people have a lot of work, so they do not get sufficient time to follow the dietary plan. As a result, they just want to get quick results; in this situation, they just like to take vitamins. Indeed, they do not need to spend more time on diet, as they can give more time to their work, because pills also give good results if they are prescribed by a doctor.
Furthermore, buying vitamin pills could be a waste of money if they can take same results from a healthy diet. For example, if people are taking a good diet in regular basis, it can improve their health in the best way. This helps reduce the immense ailments by giving good health to a person. In addition, it will reduce the chances of side effects, which are mostly faced by a lot of people when taking pills. Last but not least, from my personal experinece i would give one example: during my Canada journey, i have to do more struggle to reach here and there without car, which leads to me low iron level, so that is why i try to take a lot of iron suppliments on daily basis, which neither give me quick results nor i could see changes in my iron level.
In conclusion, having discussed both sides of the view, I can conclude that both ways are merely vital, but taking a best results depend on the person and where they want to go.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, but the development is uneven. While the reasons for buying supplements are touched upon (time constraints), the second part of the prompt—how to persuade people to improve their diet—is not explicitly answered. Instead, the essay shifts into a discussion about the benefits of a healthy diet and a personal anecdote about iron supplements. The position is somewhat unclear, as the conclusion does not directly answer the prompt but rather makes a vague statement about personal choice. To improve, ensure each part of the question is addressed with a dedicated paragraph and clear, logical arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between the reasons for buying pills and the discussion of diet is abrupt. While some cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'In addition', 'In conclusion'), they are sometimes used mechanically or inappropriately. For instance, the final paragraph does not effectively summarize the arguments presented. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow of ideas within paragraphs is disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the writer's line of reasoning throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'good results' and 'take'. Some word choices are unnatural, such as 'immense ailments' or 'do more struggle'. There are also minor spelling errors like 'experinece' and 'suppliments'. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more precise collocations and a wider variety of vocabulary related to health and nutrition, while ensuring that words are used in their correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'most of the people are taking', 'if they can take same results', and 'i have to do more struggle'. Punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with the use of lowercase 'i' and missing commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic grammar, such as subject-verb agreement and article usage, prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors would be beneficial.
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.