Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12

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 8.0)

Nowadays, despite doctors' advice that a healthy diet can provide all the vitamins people need, many individuals spend considerable amounts of money on vitamin pills. This trend can be attributed to several factors, particularly the rising cost of healthy food and the convenience of supplements. However, people should be encouraged to improve their diets rather than relying unnecessarily on supplements.

One major reason people spend money on vitamin pills is the increasing cost of nutritious food. As the prices of fresh vegetables, fruits and other healthy products rise, some people may find supplements to be a cheaper and more convenient alternative. In addition, modern lifestyles leave many people with limited time to prepare balanced meals. Taking a vitamin tablet is considerably easier than planning and cooking a nutritious meal every day. For example, someone who works long hours may prefer taking a multivitamin in the morning rather than preparing a healthy breakfast.

There are several ways to encourage people to improve their diets. First, governments and food suppliers could make nutritious foods more affordable by reducing unnecessary costs throughout the food-supply chain. This would make fresh produce more accessible, particularly to low-income households. Second, people should be educated about the nutritional value of natural foods and the limitations of relying on supplements. Public health campaigns could explain that a balanced diet provides not only vitamins but also fibre, protein and other essential nutrients.

In conclusion, the high cost of healthy food and the convenience of vitamin pills are two important reasons why people increasingly rely on supplements. Making nutritious food more affordable and educating the public about healthy eating could encourage people to obtain most of their nutrients from natural sources.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. The writer successfully explores both parts of the prompt: why people spend money on vitamin pills (citing the rising cost of nutritious food and the convenience of modern lifestyles) and how they could be persuaded to improve their diet (through government subsidies on healthy food and public health education campaigns). The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are well-developed with relevant supporting details, such as the example of working long hours. The response meets all task requirements effectively, demonstrating a strong grasp of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Ideas are logically sequenced, moving smoothly from introduction to body paragraphs discussing causes and solutions, and concluding with a concise summary. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt. Cohesive devices are used flexibly and accurately, such as 'In addition', 'First', 'Second', and 'In conclusion', ensuring that the relationships between ideas are clear without being overly mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with good flexibility and precision, well-suited to the task. Less common lexical items are used effectively, including 'considerable amounts', 'nutritious food', 'food-supply chain', and 'essential nutrients'. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate, showing an awareness of appropriate academic style. There are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication, reflecting a strong command of lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response features a wide range of structures, successfully combining complex and simple sentences. The majority of sentences are error-free, demonstrating excellent grammatical control. Examples of complex structures include 'As the prices of fresh vegetables, fruits and other healthy products rise, some people may find...' and 'Public health campaigns could explain that a balanced diet provides not only vitamins but also fibre...'. Punctuation is accurate, and minor slips are virtually absent, placing this well within the higher band descriptors for grammatical accuracy.

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