Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-10

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 6.5)

Undoubtedly, it is important to live a happy and healthy life. Although physicians advise people to have a healthy diet to obtain the essential vitamins, there are still some individuals who ignore the doctor's advice and spend a huge amount of money on vitamin pills. This essay will explain the reasons behind this attitude along with some measures to cure this problem.

I think people pay a huge amount of money for vitamin pills because the results are faster as compared to eating a balanced diet. It might be possible that some people are allergic to a particular type of food and taking supplements to balance the deficiency from that food item. I have a deficiency of iron, on top of it, I am allergic to spinach, and spinach is a great source of iron. So, only option left with me is the pills that can help me to maintain my level of iron in body. Another reason, the speed at which our deficiency can be balanced is faster among the medication over healthy diet, moreover people are busy with their work so they hardly prefer to prepare a full meal that consists of all the essential nutrients required for the body. So, taking a single pill of multi vitamin works in the same way as food does.

There are several ways to encourage people to take steps to improve their diet rather than buying supplements. Firstly, through awareness campaigns, small seminars should be organised in educational institutes and workplaces, describing the benefits of eating healthy. Food has more nutritional value compared to artificial supplements; moreover, food is organic, and it is less expensive compared to supplements. Secondly, government should impose tax on certain medications, so that people will think before buying any unnecessary medicine that can be a substitute for food.

In conclusion, irrespective of the fact that pills provide immediate and fast results, also it suits to someone who are alergic to some food items which should be the part of the balance diet. But, excessively relying only on the tablets is not good for health in the long run, and supplements are quite expensive.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses both questions and maintains a clear overall position: people may choose pills for speed, convenience, or dietary restrictions, while education and policy could encourage healthier eating. The personal example about iron deficiency and spinach allergy gives relevant support, and the proposed campaigns and seminars respond directly to the second question. However, some reasoning needs fuller development. The claim that a multivitamin “works in the same way as food does” is broad and would benefit from qualification, while taxing medicines is not clearly distinguished from taxing unnecessary supplements. Explain how each measure would change behaviour and acknowledge that supplements can be medically necessary. This gives the response solid coverage, with some ideas less fully supported than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a coherent overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph explaining reasons, a paragraph proposing measures, and a conclusion. The sequence within the main paragraphs is generally easy to follow, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” help readers identify the stages of the argument. Some linking is mechanical or imprecise, however. In the reasons paragraph, “moreover” joins ideas that would be clearer as separate sentences, and the shift from personal allergy to general convenience could be signalled more explicitly. The conclusion also combines several points in a sentence that is difficult to follow. Use clearer transitions between examples and general claims, and make references such as “this problem” more specific.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for discussing health and persuasion, with relevant terms such as “deficiency,” “supplements,” “nutritional value,” and “awareness campaigns.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, including “irrespective of the fact” and “impose tax.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “cure this problem” is not a natural description of changing purchasing habits, and “balance the deficiency” is unclear. “Medication” is also too broad when the essay means vitamin supplements, while “alergic” is misspelled. Aim for more precise health-related collocations and avoid repeating “huge amount” and “healthy diet”; this would make the argument sound more controlled and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including concessive clauses (“Although physicians advise…”) and conditional phrasing (“It might be possible that…”). Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “some people are allergic to a particular type of food and taking supplements” lacks a parallel structure; “only option left with me” is missing an article; and “someone who are allergic” has a subject–verb agreement error. The final sentence beginning “irrespective of the fact” is also structurally awkward, with “also it suits” not fitting smoothly into the clause. Review articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, and simplify sentences when several ideas are joined with “moreover.”

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