Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-22
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)
Many people think that happiness coming from a lot of money . with more money we can enjoy their life in better way .However , there are many other ways to find happiness in life instead of money . In this essay i will shed some light on both sides of this debate.
Primarily, there are a plethora of benefits having a lot of money . To justify this, who people have a lot of money, they can buy everything easily such as house , car also they can run your business in easy way .Moreover, they can travel every place because of money. They can bought tickets , reservation in the hotel and grab a rental car before start your trip.
On the other hand, there are several other ways for happiness. First and foremost , we can spend time with their family and friends .
To explain it, when we have a free time of after work we can spend precious time with the family also discuss about the future goals and talking with the grandparents ,due to this , we life make happy despite a lot of money. For example, I conducted a survey in New Delhi in 2014, they showed the 50% of families living together and they are sharing the feelings and they stay happy and healthy with the family instead lot of money
In conclusion, I firmly believe that we need a lot of money for the future. Because if we have a lot of money ,we can buy everything easily .But we can make happy in life with the spending a time with families.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: how money contributes to happiness and other sources of happiness. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments regarding money are repetitive, focusing mainly on buying items, and the explanation of non-monetary happiness is somewhat simplistic. While the position is clear, the supporting examples, such as the survey in New Delhi, are not fully integrated or explained in a way that strengthens the argument effectively. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more nuanced explanations and deeper analysis of the relationship between wealth and well-being.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'To justify this, who people have a lot of money' and 'due to this , we life make happy'. Referencing is frequently unclear, particularly with pronouns like 'their' and 'they', which sometimes lack a clear antecedent. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, making the flow feel slightly unnatural. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words and ensuring clear pronoun reference would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'run your business in easy way' and 'they can bought tickets'. The use of 'plethora' is a good attempt at a less common word, but it is not used in a natural context. The vocabulary is often repetitive, and there are frequent errors in word form and usage that occasionally make the meaning slightly difficult to grasp. Focus on learning collocations and using words in their correct grammatical forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are attempts at complex sentences, they are frequently marred by grammatical errors, such as 'Many people think that happiness coming from a lot of money .' and 'we life make happy'. Punctuation is inconsistent, with frequent spacing errors before commas and periods. Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are also problematic throughout the text. To improve, you need to focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses, and reducing the frequency of errors that occur in almost every sentence.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.