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 rather than 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 their reliance on knowing the potential side effects and taking personalized guidance from nutritionists.

The most significant point is that, the 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 contain 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, but 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, discussing reasons why people spend money on vitamin pills and suggesting alternative ways to improve diets. However, the development of ideas in the first body paragraph becomes somewhat confusing when discussing the production of medications and getting vitamins. The position on how people can be persuaded to improve their diet is slightly muddled in the thesis, where the student suggests 'reliance on knowing the potential side effects and taking personalized guidance' instead of addressing persuasion directly, though later paragraphs bring in useful dietary suggestions and professional consultation. Ideas are presented and supported with relevant examples like flaxseeds and chia seeds, placing this response at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is generally coherent with a clear overall arrangement into introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. However, cohesion at the sentence level is occasionally faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition 'The most significant point is that, the production of medications' contains unnecessary punctuation and an incomplete thought. Similarly, the conclusion is a sentence fragment ('By consuming plant-based food and supplements that are available in the market.') rather than a complete clause. Referencing and logical progression are sometimes disrupted by awkward phrasing, resulting in a Band 6.0 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'viable alternative', 'personalized guidance', and 'plant-based products'. However, there are notable limitations and word-choice errors that restrict the lexical score. For example, the phrase 'rather than improving their diet' in the introduction is grammatically disconnected from the subject. Other awkward collocations and expressions appear, such as 'sources of getting vitamins are easier than ever' and 'having control over a diet'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the overall range and precision of vocabulary place this securely at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. Examples include conditional and relative clauses like 'for those who can eat seafood, adding flaxseeds...' and 'supplements that are available in the market'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward structures that interrupt the flow. For instance, 'consumption of vitamin pills has increased in recent years rather than improving their diet' creates a logical and grammatical mismatch. Sentence fragments also occur, such as the final sentence of the conclusion. Because errors are noticeable and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, this merits a Band 5.5.

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

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