Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-24

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)

Happiness is a subjective term, and everyone has various perspectives about it. It is argue by some that money is necessary to be pleased in lives. In my opinion, having a lot of money is one of the reason for happiness although good health and family support are also important that can make individuals happy.

To begin with, financial stability offers a luxurious lifestyle not only for adults but also for children. In other words, people can manage their daily expenses smoothly without any trouble as well as they can raise their children nicely. For example, they can study in well-known schools and take part in extracurricular activities which might be difficult for poor families to afford these type of amenities for their children. Thus, if money is not the concern for them, they can live happy lives.

Apart from having good amount of money, well-being plays a crucial part to live happily because only money cannot buy happiness. For instance, if a person is affluent and lives life comfortably, they might not be happy due to a health issue like anxiety or depression. In addition, having a family assistance is also one type of happiness because they have always been ready to assist their family members those who have physical or emotional problems which might not solve with money. This can eliminate isolation and stress level.

In conclusion, although more money can definitely provide a lavish lifestyles and bring happiness, I believe that other factors are also responsible to make people happy, such as good well-being and support from family.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: how money contributes to happiness and other factors that influence it. The position is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of education and extracurricular activities for financial stability, and health and family for non-monetary happiness. However, the development is somewhat limited; the points are introduced but could be expanded with more depth or specific examples to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In other words', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the third paragraph ('those who have physical or emotional problems') is a bit clunky. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use less common items like 'affluent', 'luxurious', and 'amenities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'It is argue by some' (should be 'argued') and 'one of the reason' (should be 'reasons'). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed for a higher band score. The errors do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'one of the reason' and 'having a family assistance'. There are also minor errors in passive voice construction ('It is argue by some'). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the punctuation is generally accurate. The range of structures is sufficient, but more consistent control over complex grammar is required for a higher score.

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

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