Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-28
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)
Major section of the society have a thought that having abundance amount of money can bring them joy and happiness in their life .On the other side of coin,other part thinks there are various kinds to make you happy which involves no requirement of money.
Starting,people who are rich in life can enjoy whatever they want to do.They don't have to thing twice before doing any activity in their life .Travelling requires good amount of budget if a person has a hobby of travelling he should have enough amount of money to travel all over the world wherever he wants.My best friend is born in a rich family.He likes to watch soccer.For that he frequently travels to different nations to see soccer which is quite expensive.
Some people also believe that money cannot buy happiness in life .There are some things in live which do not require money to be happy.Like spending time with you family and making memories are part of it.Furthermore ,working on your mentally and physically can make you happy if you are not even rich.Recentlu I have started doing running in morning ,by doing this activity i feel happy throughout the day .It is good example of enjoying life without money.
Taking both perspectives into account money is a essential thing in life to do things which you enjoy in life .But it is not only thing which can bring happiness all the time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing how money facilitates enjoyment and identifying non-monetary sources of happiness. However, the response is under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. The ideas, such as the example of the friend traveling for soccer or the mention of running, are relevant but remain somewhat superficial. To reach a higher band, you need to expand on your arguments with more detailed explanations and more sophisticated examples. The position is clear, but the brevity prevents a fully developed response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic logical progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or missing. For example, 'Starting,' is an unnatural way to begin a paragraph, and the transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between ideas could be smoother. While the overall arrangement is coherent, the lack of varied and accurate cohesive devices limits the score. Improving the use of linking words like 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'in contrast' would enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'having a lot of money' and 'happy in life.' There are also some collocation errors, such as 'working on your mentally and physically' (should be 'mental and physical health') and 'abundance amount of money' (should be 'an abundance of money'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more sophisticated or varied vocabulary prevents a higher score. You should aim to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and precise terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Issues include missing articles ('in morning'), incorrect verb forms ('is born' instead of 'was born'), and punctuation errors (spacing issues after commas and periods). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be distracting. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately without missing auxiliary verbs or prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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