Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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 6.5)

Although medical doctors have mentioned that healthy food provides a stable source of vitamins, some individuals have been found to ignore this information while investing huge amounts of money on other alternatives, like supplements. This may be attributed to the fact that some people are after a quick and less strenous option and the best way to address this is to raise awareness on the side effects of these pills.

A major reason why some people opt for pills is because of the stress associated with sourcing and preparing the variety of food items needed to get the vitamins benefits. While most of the vitamin pills are advertised as having all the required nutrients in few capsules, this in contrast to healthy diet requires purchasing and cooking a number of fruits, grains, meats and vegetables to be able to get all vitamins. For example, a recent survey where respondents were asked on how they consume vitamin C, a considerable number stated they took they Vitamin C pills as it was more time efficient to pop a pill than to peel oranges.

One of the most viable solution in addressing this issue, will be to provide extensive informations through public campaigns on the adverse effects the frequent consumption of pills have on specific organs of the body. Some of these supplements are manufactured with sythentic additives and chemicals to prevent expiry which when taken leads to health risks such as kidney failures, hormonal imbalances and liver dysfunction. For instance, a pharmaceutical company in Dubai found a decline in the number of regular customers after a documentary was released on the hidden side effects of their health supplements on the liver.

In conclusion, a number of people prefer to get their vitamins by ingesting pills rather than taking healthy meals in a bid to save time and stress. However, this can be addressed by ensuring the members of the society are aware of the negative side effects associated with these supplements through targeted campaigns.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both questions and maintain a clear position: people choose pills for convenience, while public campaigns could encourage healthier eating. The explanation of time and effort is relevant and supported by the example comparing taking a vitamin C pill with peeling oranges. Your proposed solution is also explained, with examples of possible health risks and a documentary’s effect on customers. However, the response develops the dangers of supplements more fully than practical ways to make a healthy diet appealing or accessible. The claims about additives and organ damage are presented broadly, and the Dubai example is not clearly connected to how campaigns would persuade people to change their diets. More balanced development and a more direct link between the solution and behaviour change would strengthen the response further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: the introduction presents the issue, the first body paragraph explains why people buy pills, the second proposes a solution, and the conclusion restates the main points. Paragraphs are focused, and linking expressions such as “For example,” “One of the most viable solution,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. This organisation makes the response easy to follow. To make cohesion more flexible and precise, avoid relying on explicit signposting where the relationship between ideas could be made clearer through the sentence itself. For instance, the connection between publicising health risks and persuading people to improve their diets could be explained more directly, rather than leaving the reader to infer it.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary and attempt some less common expressions, including “sourcing and preparing,” “adverse effects,” “synthetic additives,” and “hormonal imbalances.” These choices help communicate the topic and support a suitably formal tone. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, however, such as “vitamins benefits,” “extensive informations,” and “the best way to address this is to raise awareness on.” There are also spelling errors, including “strenous” and “sythentic.” These do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and control. Aim to check word forms and spelling, and learn common collocations as complete phrases, such as “raise awareness of” and “the benefits of vitamins.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses and relative clauses, as in “which when taken leads to health risks.” Most ideas remain understandable, and the response shows an attempt to vary sentence structure. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly with agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “One of the most viable solution” needs a plural noun after “one of the,” while “this in contrast to healthy diet requires” is not formed as a complete, well-controlled comparison. In “a considerable number stated they took they Vitamin C pills,” the reporting clause and pronoun use are faulty. Review agreement and article use, and simplify sentences when a longer structure becomes difficult to control.

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