Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-15

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)

It is believed by some that money brings happiness in individuals' lives as people can fulfil their needs if they have a considerable amount of money. Although having enough money is important, I disagree with the view that solely a lot of money can make people happy, along with money there are several other factors that can be considered to bring happiness in someone's life.

One main reason why some people consider that money is the major factor to make people feel happy is because it can fulfill the needs of daily living. If people have a lot of money, they can easily fulfil their basic needs as they do not need to think about money before purchasing anything. In addition, in the case of emergencies, such as they get ill, they can easily get better treatment from the reputed hospital. As a result, they can stay fit and lead happy lives.

However, spending time with family is as much important as money to leading happy life. This is because when people spend quality time with their family members, they can share their feelings with them and create new memories, which reduce their stress. Spending time with loved ones not only give satisfaction but also happiness.

In my opinion, even though money is essential in order to fulfil the everyday needs, I believe that other factors are equally important to stay happy in life. For instance, a person has a large sum of money, but unable to manage family life and commitments properly, can not stay happy.

In conclusion, while having money can make people happy up to some extent, I still feel only money can not bring overall happiness in people's lives. Maintaining a balance between money and other factors is extremely important to stay happy in life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing how money contributes to happiness and identifying other factors, such as family time. Your position is clear throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, although the development of the 'other factors' section could be slightly more detailed to reach a higher band. For instance, you mention family time, but expanding on how this specifically impacts mental well-being or long-term life satisfaction would strengthen the argument. Overall, the response is well-focused and directly answers the prompt's requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'However', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas effectively. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more varied to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas from the role of money to the importance of non-monetary factors is logical and easy to track.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fulfil their needs', 'reputed hospital', and 'commitments'. You successfully convey your meaning throughout the essay. However, to achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise or less common lexical items. For example, instead of repeating 'make people happy', you could use 'enhance well-being' or 'foster contentment'. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication, but the vocabulary remains somewhat standard and lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your grammar is generally accurate and easy to follow, there are some minor errors, such as 'spending time with loved ones not only give satisfaction' (should be 'gives') and 'a person has a large sum of money, but unable to manage' (should be 'who has' or 'if a person has'). These errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, with greater precision to demonstrate higher control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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