Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say the main way to be happy in life is to have a lot of money. How might having a lot of money make people happy? What other things in life can make people happy?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.0)

In the modern era, many individuals believe that with a lot of money they can stay happy because they can fulfill their needs and enjoy their life. But instead of money, if they have good relationship with their family and friends still they can enjoy their life. In the upcoming paragraphs I would like to shed light on reasons behind this.

To begin with, many people think that with a lot of cash they can stay happy in their life because if they have a lot of money, they are able to fulfill their needs. They do not need to beg up for basic things. They can go anywhere as according to their mood. For instance, a survey was conducted by ABP news in India in 2023 which stated that 50% of people were happy as compared to other because they were able to complete their daily needs. Hence, money plays an important role in our life.

On the other hand, without a lot of money people can still stay happy if they have good relationship with their family members and friends. They can go outside with them and they can spend time with each other. They can enjoy various of activities together which helps them to stay stress free. For example, a headline was published in Jag Bani newspaper in 2024 which illustrated that in India 80% of middle class people were more happy as compared to upper class people. As a result, with good relationship people can stay glad in their life.

To conclude, money plays an vital role in people life to stay happy because with the help of money they can fulfill their needs but every time money is not everything they can also spread happiness in their life if they have good relationship.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the question: it explains that money can meet people’s needs and describes relationships with family and friends as another source of happiness. The position that money matters but is not everything is clear, especially in the introduction and conclusion. The examples about daily needs and middle-class people are relevant, although the reported percentages are not explained or connected in much detail to why people feel happy. The discussion of relationships also focuses mainly on spending time and doing activities together; it could be developed by explaining how emotional support, trust, or belonging contributes to well-being. Developing these ideas more fully and making the examples more clearly support the reasoning would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two sources of happiness, and a conclusion. The progression from money to relationships is easy to follow, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” help guide the reader. This organisation is effective, though some linking is mechanical and repeated: “they can stay happy” and “with a lot of money” recur several times. The relationship between some claims and their examples could also be made more explicit, particularly after the survey figures. Use a wider range of referencing and transitions, and connect each example directly to the point it is intended to demonstrate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, with relevant terms such as “fulfill their needs,” “basic things,” “middle class,” and “stress free.” However, the range is limited by repeated general words, especially “happy,” “money,” and “good relationship,” and some expressions are not natural or precise. For example, “beg up for basic things” does not convey the intended meaning clearly, while “enjoy various of activities” is an inaccurate phrase. “Stay glad” is also an awkward substitute for “stay happy.” Aim for more precise vocabulary about financial security and emotional well-being, and check collocations so that attempts at varied wording sound natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple sentences and some longer clauses, including conditional forms such as “if they have a lot of money” and “if they have good relationship.” Meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “good relationship” needs an article or plural form, “50% of people were happy as compared to other” has an unclear comparison, and “money plays an vital role” uses the wrong article. The final sentence also joins several ideas in a way that makes the structure difficult to follow. Practise accurate articles, agreement, plurals, and sentence boundaries, while retaining the longer structures. More consistently controlled complex sentences would improve accuracy and range.

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