Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-13
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 6.5)
Nowadays, many working professionals spend the majority of their time at work. They believe that the main reason to be delighted in life is to become more wealthy. While this provide happiness into people's lives by letting them buy a luxurious house, a sport car, I believe that other things such as family bonding, good friends can also bring joy into one's life.
On one hand, money can be a practical solution for a person to fulfil his monetary needs. People who work more devote sufficient time at the office. As a result, they solve their money-related issues, and buy whatever they like. They can buy a better place to live, a better car to drive and a better place to visit. Therefore, money brings joy on their faces. In addition, parents who earn well, provide good education to their children. In addition, their child have more chances to be successful.
On the other hand, there are several potential things that can make a person's life delightful. The most important thing is a strong family bond, as a member of family, if there is a joy among members, it can make an individual's life happier. People who stay in a healthy and happy family, tend to live a better and stress-free life. Also, the other thing is good friends, friends are the ones, who stand in every difficult situation. Therefore, having good friends is considered as a blessing. In some cases, a person who earns so-so, but with good family and friends tend to live a delightful life than the one who is more wealthy.
In conclusion, having a good amount of money can satisfy people's needs. However, a supportive family and friends can bring joy into one's life unconditionally. Therefore, only money might not be sufficient to be happy.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the role of money in happiness and alternative sources of joy. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how money provides happiness is a bit repetitive, focusing primarily on material possessions. The second body paragraph introduces family and friends, but the arguments could be more deeply extended with specific examples or more nuanced reasoning. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully explored rather than just stated, providing a more comprehensive analysis of the relationship between wealth and well-being.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main themes. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'In addition', and 'Therefore' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the connection between sentences could be smoother in some places. Overall, the text is easy to follow, and the logical flow is maintained throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'monetary needs' and 'unconditionally'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler terms like 'good' and 'better'. Some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'earns so-so' or 'joy on their faces'. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and varied collocations to express complex ideas with greater sophistication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('this provide', 'their child have') and minor punctuation or article errors. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, the student should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly subject-verb agreement and pluralization, and attempt to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater precision.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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