Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15

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 6.0)

The consumption of vitamin pills has increased in recent years instead of improving their diet. This trend is mainly because they are widely available in the market although some of the medicines are indeed expensive. However, I believe that consumers can reduce pills by knowing the potential side effects and taking personalized guidance from nutritionists.

The most significant point is that, production of medications. Compared to the past, the advancement in the medical field has enhanced the way of discovering sources of getting vitamins are easier than ever. As a result, instead of spending time in the kitchen preparing food, people prefer to buy vitamin pills from a nearby drugstore. Additionally, taking an Omega-3 supplement can be a viable alternative for the people who do not consume fish or seafood. Moreover, they also contains other essential nutrients like protein and minerals. Thus, people are influenced towards spending more money on supplements.

There are various ways to stay healthy by consuming green vegetables and plant-based products. For instance, for those who can eat seafood, adding flaxseeds, chia seeds, mustard oil and soybean oil can be beneficial. Furthermore, having control over a diet is most important in the process of being healthy. Thus, reducing consumption of sweets and oily food is essential. Finally, consulting a professional nutritionist can be a huge help as they tend to create personalized diet plans for people after their various medical tests.

In conclusion, using vitamin pills to some extent is necessary for some people based on their diet, finding a better and safer way before spending a large amount of money is more reliable. By consuming plant-based food and supplements that are available in the market.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: why people spend money on vitamin pills and how they can be persuaded to improve their diet. The introduction presents a clear position, stating that consumers can reduce pill usage through awareness of side effects and professional guidance. However, the development of ideas in the body paragraphs is somewhat disjointed and lacks precise focus. For instance, the second paragraph mentions that the advancement in the medical field has made discovering vitamin sources easier, which is slightly contradictory regarding why people buy pills instead of real food. The second question regarding persuasion is partially addressed through mentions of green vegetables, plant-based products, and consulting a nutritionist, but the arguments could be better extended and supported with clearer examples to reach higher bands. Overall, the task is addressed, but development remains limited in places, corresponding to a Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is divided into four paragraphs, following a logical macro-structure with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, cohesion at the sentence level is occasionally faulty and mechanical. In the second paragraph, the sentence starting with 'The most significant point is that, production of medications' is grammatically incomplete and disrupts the flow of ideas. Furthermore, transitional phrases are sometimes used awkwardly, such as 'Additionally, taking an Omega-3 supplement can be a viable alternative', which shifts away from the main explanation of why people buy pills. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, body points, and conclusion, but referencing and logical progression require tightening to achieve a higher score. This performance fits the Band 6 descriptor well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'widely available', 'personalized guidance', 'viable alternative', and 'professional nutritionist'. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices throughout the text. For example, the phrase 'consumption of vitamin pills has increased in recent years instead of improving their diet' contains a logical mismatch. Additionally, the second paragraph states that they also 'contains' instead of 'contain', and the conclusion has a sentence fragment ('By consuming plant-based food and supplements that are available in the market.'). While less common vocabulary is attempted, errors in word choice and collocation prevent the text from reaching a Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'for the people who do not consume fish or seafood' and 'for those who can eat seafood'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('they also contains') and incomplete or malformed sentences, such as 'The most significant point is that, production of medications.' Furthermore, punctuation and sentence boundaries occasionally cause confusion for the reader. Although these errors rarely impede overall communication entirely, their frequency places the response firmly within the Band 6 category for grammatical accuracy.

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

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