Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-14

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 this Modern era, some people believe that having generational wealth is the key to happiness. I believe it is true that having a big amount of money can solve most of person's problems but not all. There are some things that give people happiness that cannot be purchased by money.

At first, it is true that wealthy people have more resources then the poor or middle class. They have expensive cars, luxury lifestyle, that most of the people running after. They have ability to purchase whatever they want. That maybe gives them happiness or satisfaction. In case of emergency rich people can get any health or beauty treatment without thinking twice about the cost of the treatment. I believe that is the biggest leverage wealthy people have.

On the other hand middle class person may not be able to purchase luxury items that dose not mean that he or she is not happy in their lives.

There are so many things that gives happiness without paying any big amount of money. For example an athlete who is working hard for years to win a championship. When eventually he or she win in there game and receive that medal, that happiness is worth beyond thousands of dollars.

Furthermore, a good relationship with your family and friends is also another example. A middle class person who has friends or family members that are supportive and understanding is a luxury that cannot be buy with money.

In conclusion, I believe that being rich is good and gives you so ability to buy material things that can give you satisfaction. On the other hand people who are not wealthy, they have their own way to find happiness.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: how money contributes to happiness and alternative sources of happiness. 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 superficial, focusing primarily on material goods and health. Similarly, the examples of non-monetary happiness (athletes and relationships) are relevant but could be expanded with more depth to fully explore the 'why' behind these sources of satisfaction. The essay meets the requirements but would benefit from more detailed elaboration to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'At first', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader through the argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes a bit mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the transition between the discussion of wealth and the transition to non-monetary happiness. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'generational wealth' and 'leverage', which are used effectively. However, there are also instances of awkward phrasing and minor errors in word choice, such as 'that most of the people running after' and 'worth beyond thousands of dollars'. The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a middle class person'), subject-verb agreement ('things that gives happiness'), and verb forms ('cannot be buy'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some missing commas that would improve readability. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while focusing on accuracy would be beneficial.

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