Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-17

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)

In this day and age, an increasing amount of the population feels that the key to happiness in life is having abundant money. Individuals reckon that wealth makes them elated because they can buy whatever they want with that money, and they can visit any destination on Earth. However, satisfaction in life can also bring joy.

There are several reasons for people to believe that money can make a person happy. The key factor is that they can purchase anything. Since people have money, they can buy expensive items that can bring happiness to their lives. For example, if a person owns tremendous wealth, then they can buy exorbitant clothes, food, and cars, etc., which bring job in their life as they can live a life of luxury. This will provide them comfort, which is necessary to be happy. Furthermore, they can visit any place in the world. While individuals can able to have fun at diverse destinations, they can be easily happy because of this. For instance, a person can experience a tour to the moon, which is considered a lifetime moment, and it will bring joy to an individual's life if they have money. Therefore, a wealthy person can not only enjoy having luxurious items but also travel to different parts of the world.

In contrast, people can be delighted if they are satisfy by which they have in their life. When a person understands the beauty of life by enjoying all those moments in their life, they do not need expensive things to bring enjoyment. They can still be happy with whatever they have. Such as, a poor man can be cheerful if he can get enough food on his plate at the end of the day. Hence, happiness can be possible with satisfaction.

In a nutshell, although an individual can be happy by utilizing his wealth on costly goods and visiting several places by experiencing those once-in-a-lifetime moments, he can also be happy by having a satisfying nature and finding happiness in the items that he already has.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: how money contributes to happiness and alternative sources of happiness. The ideas are relevant, though the development is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument about buying 'expensive items' is repeated across the second paragraph. The example of a 'tour to the moon' is a bit hyperbolic and lacks realism, which slightly weakens the persuasiveness of the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point adds a new dimension to the argument rather than restating the same concept. Overall, the position is clear and the task requirements are met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'In contrast', and 'In a nutshell' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. For example, the phrase 'in their life' is used frequently, which makes the flow feel a bit stagnant. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main ideas, and the progression of ideas from the benefits of wealth to the benefits of satisfaction is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated language like 'exorbitant', 'tremendous', and 'elated'. However, there are instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'bring job in their life' (likely meant 'joy') and 'individuals can able to have fun'. These errors do not impede communication, but they highlight a lack of precision. To improve, focus on using collocations correctly and ensuring that the vocabulary used is natural in the context of the argument.

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 verb forms and prepositions, such as 'if they are satisfy by which they have' (should be 'satisfied with what they have') and 'a person can experience a tour'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. The control over complex structures is inconsistent, and there are minor punctuation issues. Increasing the accuracy of basic verb tenses and word forms would significantly improve the score.

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

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