Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17

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 6.0)

Some people believe the present is the best time to live in history. Others believe the best time to live peacefully is in an earlier period. I personally believe that modern life is the best because it provides good healthcare, technology, and opportunities for employment. In ancient times, life was peaceful, and it had more cultural values.

There are several reasons why the present has more benefits for living a happy life. Firstly, the modern healthcare system is very good for medication; we have all sorts of medicines to overcome diseases, which makes life easier. Secondly, modern technology helps people in many ways. For example, people can communicate with others who live on the other side of the world within seconds, and people can also travel to those places using an aeroplane to meet their loved ones. Lastly, recent developments create more job opportunities for people to get employment, boost their skills, and build a career.

However, I would find that the earlier period has its own perks. Firstly, people were more connected to each others peronally. People were independent and social. For example, during the 16th century, people were playing all the games on the grounds with their friends instead of using their mobile phones. During festivals, they used to meet each other at one place rather than on the phone via video call.

In conclusion, I believe that the present is the best time to live happily because of modern technology, development, and education. The past has its own history to get more socialized personally and get to know.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by giving an opinion on the present era and discussing an interesting historical period, namely the 16th century. In the introduction, you state your position clearly by choosing the present due to healthcare, technology, and employment, while acknowledging that ancient times offered peace and cultural values. In the body paragraphs, you provide supporting details, such as how modern medicine and airplanes improve quality of life, and contrast this with social interaction in the 16th century. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed and would benefit from more extended examples or deeper analysis. For instance, the mention of 16th-century games is a good start, but explaining how society functioned then would strengthen your response. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, fitting a Band 6.0 profile.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

Your essay demonstrates a clear overall arrangement with logical paragraphing. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, starting with an introduction, moving to advantages of the present, discussing the historical alternative, and finishing with a conclusion. You make use of standard cohesive devices and sequencing markers such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Lastly', and 'However' to guide the reader through your arguments. Nevertheless, some referencing is slightly mechanical and repetitive, particularly the transition phrases at the beginning of sentences. Paragraph transitions could be smoother, and the referencing of pronouns like 'each others peronally' contains minor slips. Progression is generally maintained throughout, placing this essay securely at Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully communicating ideas about healthcare, technology, and historical lifestyles. Words such as 'employment', 'opportunities', 'developments', and 'independent' demonstrate a sufficient working vocabulary. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and minor spelling mistakes, such as 'peronally' instead of 'personally' and awkward phrasing like 'playing all the games on the grounds'. Attempts to use less common items are present, but word choices lack the precision and natural collocation required for higher bands. Because your vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey your message without causing major comprehension issues, a score of 6.0 is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. You successfully employ complex structures using subordinate clauses, such as 'For example, people can communicate with others who live on the other side of the world within seconds'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing choices, such as 'the earlier period has its own perks' and 'people were playing all the games' (which would be better as past simple 'played'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and errors in grammar do not impede communication. The variety of structures combined with frequent minor inaccuracies places this performance at Band 6.0.

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