Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-27
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)
According to some people happiness in life is just having alot of money. However, there are other things in life which can bring happiness and excitement in their life. This essay will discuss both perspectives.
To begin with, money can make individual happy as it provides financial security in life. This is because if the person is having high wages, he has less stress for the bill payments and daily expenses. For example, a well paid person can easily pay his rent, affort family healthcare and food expences. Moreover, he can also live a better life by enjoying yearly travel trip all around the world, managing time for hobbies and entertainment. For instance, money allows people to take off from work and enjoy holidays with their family as well as fullfil all their needs.
On the other hand, there are other things in life which make people happy such as having friends and family. The main reason is that family and friends provide love, support and companionship. For example, spending quality time everyday in living area with family can make people feel relaxed and loved. Also, having discussion with friend about the whole day spend reduces stress. Furthermore, if an individual has good health he can live his life happily and peacefully. For instance, a healthy person can play sports and travel without any difficulties.
To conclude, money can increase happiness, but it is not the main source of happiness. Strong relationships, good health and a satisfying life are also important.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: how money contributes to happiness and what other factors are important. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. The essay maintains a consistent position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation of how money reduces stress is clear but could be further extended with more nuanced examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The structure is logical, and the response covers all requirements of the task effectively, though it remains at a fairly general level of discussion.
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 topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'For instance' are used appropriately to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes a bit mechanical or repetitive. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the different aspects of the argument. Overall, the flow of the essay is smooth and coherent.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. There are some attempts at using topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'financial security', 'daily expenses', and 'companionship'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'alot' (a lot), 'affort' (afford), and 'expences' (expenses). To improve, you should aim to incorporate a wider variety of less common lexical items and ensure greater precision in your word choice to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'make individual happy' (should be 'make individuals happy'), 'he has less stress for the bill payments' (should be 'about bill payments'), and 'the whole day spend' (should be 'spent'). Punctuation is generally accurate, but there are minor slips throughout. The errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more consistent control over articles, pluralization, and verb forms to reach a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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