Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people say that now is the best time in history to be living.
What is your opinion about this?
What other time in history would be interesting to live in?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 7.5)
Some people believe that the present is the best time in history to be alive. I agree with this view because people today enjoy better healthcare, education, technology, and personal freedom than previous generations. However, I also think the Renaissance would have been an interesting period to experience.
One important reason why modern life is better is the development of healthcare. Many diseases that were once deadly can now be prevented or treated successfully. People also have easier access to doctors, medicines, and health information. As a result, life expectancy has increased in many countries.
Technology is another major advantage of living today. The internet allows people to communicate instantly, study online, work from home, and access information within seconds. Travelling has also become faster and more convenient. In addition, people generally have more freedom to choose their careers, education, relationships, and lifestyles.
If I had the opportunity to live in another historical period, I would choose the Renaissance in Europe. It was an exciting time of progress in art, science, and literature. Famous people such as Leonardo da Vinci developed ideas and created works that still influence society today. It would be fascinating to see these discoveries and artworks being produced. However, I would only want to visit for a short period because living conditions and medical care were much worse.
In conclusion, I believe the present is the best time to live because modern life is safer, healthier, and more convenient, although the Renaissance would be fascinating to experience.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt clearly. You have taken a firm position on why the present is the best time to live and provided a well-reasoned alternative period, the Renaissance, to satisfy the second part of the task. The ideas are relevant and supported by specific examples, such as the mention of Leonardo da Vinci and the benefits of modern healthcare. The development is logical and consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, you could further extend your arguments by providing more nuanced analysis or contrasting the two periods in greater depth, rather than simply listing the advantages of each.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as healthcare, technology, or the Renaissance, which makes the progression of ideas easy to follow. You have used cohesive devices effectively, such as 'However', 'In addition', and 'As a result', to link your sentences and paragraphs. The structure is logical and flows naturally. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the argument. The use of referencing is accurate, ensuring that the reader can easily track the development of your points.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas with precision. Phrases like 'deadly', 'instantaneously', and 'fascinating' are used appropriately. While the vocabulary is accurate and fits the context well, it is somewhat functional. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated or less common lexical items to demonstrate a wider range. For instance, instead of 'better healthcare', you could use 'advancements in medical science' or 'superior healthcare infrastructure'. The spelling is accurate throughout, and there are no errors that impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The essay displays a good control of grammatical structures. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'Many diseases that were once deadly can now be prevented or treated successfully.' The punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence construction is clear. There are very few grammatical errors, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. To move toward a higher band, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as inversion or more sophisticated conditional sentences, to show greater flexibility in your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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