Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-27
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)
Doctors often advise people to obtain all the necessary vitamins and minerals from a healthy and balanced diet. However, many people still spend considerable amounts of money on vitamin pills and supplements. There are several reasons for this behaviour, and there are also effective ways to encourage people to improve their diets.
One major reason people buy vitamin pills is that they are convenient. Modern lifestyles can be very busy, and some individuals do not have enough time to prepare healthy meals every day. Taking a pill may seem much easier than buying and cooking fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and other nutritious foods. Another reason is advertising. Supplement companies often promote their products as an easy way to improve health, increase energy or prevent illness. As a result, people may believe that taking supplements is necessary even when they already have a reasonably healthy diet. In addition, some people may have poor eating habits and use vitamin pills as a replacement for healthy food.
People could be persuaded to improve their diets through better public education. Schools, hospitals and social media platforms could provide simple information about the benefits of eating fresh and nutritious food. Governments could also run awareness campaigns explaining that supplements should not normally replace a balanced diet. For example, short videos showing affordable and easy healthy meals could encourage young people to change their eating habits. Doctors
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses both parts of the task, explaining why people spend money on vitamin pills (convenience, advertising, poor eating habits) and suggesting ways to persuade them to improve their diet (public education, awareness campaigns, governments running videos). However, the length requirement of 250 words is not met as the text contains only 231 words and finishes abruptly mid-sentence ('Doctors'). Because of this under-length penalty and the resulting incomplete conclusion, the task is only partially completed in terms of full development and word count requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay displays a clear overall arrangement with an introduction, a body paragraph exploring reasons, and a paragraph suggesting solutions. Ideas are logically sequenced, and basic cohesive devices such as 'One major reason', 'Another reason', and 'In addition' are used appropriately. Paragraphing is mostly sufficient, although the essay cuts off abruptly at the end before a proper concluding paragraph can be formed. Referencing is generally clear, and the flow is smooth up until the incomplete ending.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates an adequate and functional range of vocabulary suitable for the task. Phrases like 'considerable amounts of money', 'modern lifestyles', and 'awareness campaigns' show a good attempt at less common lexical items. Word choice is generally appropriate, and spelling is accurate throughout the provided text. While it does not reach the higher levels of sophisticated idiomatic control, the vocabulary used effectively conveys the intended meaning without impeding communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control over basic structures. Examples such as 'Doctors often advise people to obtain all the necessary vitamins and minerals from a healthy and balanced diet' show accurate grammatical control. There are some complex structures attempted successfully, and punctuation is mostly correct. Although the response is cut short at the end, the grammar within the complete sentences is accurate and does not impede communication.
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