Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-12
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 5.5)
Nowadays, money plays an important role in our life to survive. Certain individuals think money is the only way to be happy in life. In my own perspective, money is important for survival money cannot make people happy. This essay will shed a light on some reasons that make people happy.
Firstly, family members are very essential in life to live a happier life because we can share our emotions and problems with them and in results, they give us solutions and they also help each other through difficult phase. For instance, I'm living in Canada right now and I'm working and making a lot of money but when I come home from work, I feel lonely, stressed and no one is here to help me mentally and physically also.
Secondly, I feel if people have a home, a well paid job, a good life partner, family members, a group of close friends make ctizens happy because these things are very important in our lives more than money. Money just gives us success, not relations and happiness. Furthermore, In this modern era, people just love money, they forget about the relations, they become arrogant because they are not express their feelings with others, they just focusing on competing with others.
In conclusion, I believe happiness comes from small gestures like a hug from a mother who can forget all the stress, a conversation with the siblings can help to feel relaxed. These things matters a lot than money.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing how money contributes to happiness and identifying other sources of fulfillment. However, the response is slightly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. While the ideas are relevant, the explanation of how money specifically makes people happy is somewhat superficial, focusing more on the negative aspects of wealth. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments would benefit from more detailed elaboration and concrete examples to fully meet the requirements of a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where referencing is slightly unclear, such as the transition between the discussion of money and the importance of relationships. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive to improve the overall progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student relies on basic terms like 'important', 'happy', and 'good'. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'making a lot of money' and 'mentally and physically also'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of proficiency.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('these things matters a lot') and awkward phrasing ('they are not express their feelings'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are run-on sentences and missing articles throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex grammatical structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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