Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-21
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 7.0)
Some individuals are of the opinion that the present is the best time to be living. I agree with this point completely as the data suggests that in terms of happiness index, crime rate and standard of living, this is the safest and most comfortable time to be living in comparison to history.
Whilst I believe that there are pros and cons of being alive in any historical era and happiness is a state of mind which can be achieved irrespective of global conditions. I strongly believe that the present time is the most wonderful time due to various reasons. Firstly, the crime rate is much lower today in comparison to any historical period, especially world is a much safer place for women when compared to the past. The standard of living has also risen significantly as the commodities are available much more conveniently. Furthermore, there is much more equality now. For example, just 200 years back it was quite difficult to get groceries and there was no way to store, which meant that it had to be procured on a daily basis, which I can just imagine how difficult it must have been.
That being said, if I have to live in a different era, I would like to live between 1950s to 1980s when the pace of life was much slower and the relationships had much deeper meaning as people did not have any distracting devices like laptops and mobile phones. I think it would be quite interesting to build relationships and businesses during that era where a person would have to physically go to a place to get a task done.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that there has never been a better time to be living than now, as this is the most convenient and secure time to be living in. If I have to live in a different era though, it would be between 1950s to 1980s to experience a slower lifestyle.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The student successfully addresses both parts of the prompt, giving a clear opinion on why the present is the best time to live and identifying an alternative historical era (1950s to 1980s). The position is maintained consistently throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported, such as mentioning the happiness index, crime rates, standard of living, and the contrast in technology and pace of life. However, some ideas border on over-generalisation and lack deeper extension, such as the historical example about groceries 200 years ago which is slightly imprecise. Overall, the requirements of the task are well met, aligning solidly with the Band 7 criteria for addressing all parts with a clear position and supported ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. It is divided into four appropriate paragraphs, including an introduction, two body paragraphs addressing the prompt's two questions, and a clear concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'Whilst I believe', 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'That being said', which help guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, and referencing is mostly clear, though occasional transitional phrases feel slightly mechanical. This corresponds well to a Band 7 score for clear logical organisation and flexible use of cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with some flexibility and precision, incorporating terms such as 'happiness index', 'standard of living', 'procured', and 'pace of life'. Less common lexical items are attempted with decent awareness of style, though there are some slight word-choice infelicities, such as 'commodities are available much more conveniently' instead of 'commodities are much more readily available'. Spelling and word choice errors are occasional and do not impede communication at all. This performance fits the Band 7 descriptor for having a sufficient range with some awareness of style.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses ('Whilst I believe that...', 'if I have to live in a different era...'). There is a good variety of complex structures attempted, and punctuation is generally handled well. However, there are some persistent grammatical inaccuracies, such as run-on structures or tense inconsistency (e.g., 'if I have to live' instead of 'if I had to live') and fragment sentences like 'happiness is a state of mind which can be achieved irrespective of global conditions.' These minor slips and occasional errors place the writing firmly at Band 6.5, rounded to 6.0 due to frequency.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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