Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-31

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 6.0)

It is an undeniable fact, that money gives you the utmost joy in life. Their are several reasons supporting such as buying an expensive product or travelling overseas for great experience Nonetheless, family support and mental peace are essential for every individual, and can not be purchased.

To begin with, money opens the window of opportunity, it enables an individual to buy any luxurious commodity such as car, watches and assets which act as symbol of flex for others. To exemplify, rich people are often seen shopping every month, most of the times items purchased are not even necessary but they buy it for satisfaction. This whole practice brings happiness to them, it makes them feel superior from others. Additionally, rich people spend money to gain experiences, they often visit foreign countries which not only gives them an exposure but also assists in learning the culture and different linguistics.

However, Satisfaction and peace does not always comes with money. In most scenarios, entrepreneur who work long hours everyday are often seen stressed, this happens due to overthinking and competition pressure. To sustain in the market they do earn money but are not happy and satisfied. because they distinct themselves from every other happiness surrounding. To add on, their are several reasons of happiness which do not require money for instance family support and having friends, these relationships are not purchased it requires years of trust for building. Moreover, being spiritual and having religious knowledge assist an individual to become calm and compose in life, and also helps in personal growth.

To conclude, money act as happiness for many as it allows to get exposure and improve standard of living Nevertheless, they are other measures too like peace and family support which are important and can not be purchased with cash.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the role of money in happiness and alternative sources of fulfillment. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the explanation of why money brings happiness relies on the concept of 'flexing' and 'superiority,' which could be explored with more depth or nuance. The alternative factors, such as family and spirituality, are mentioned but not fully extended with concrete examples. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported by more detailed reasoning or illustrative evidence to provide a more comprehensive argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with,' 'Additionally,' and 'To conclude,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'because they distinct themselves from every other happiness surrounding.' Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal cohesion within paragraphs sometimes lacks the sophistication required for higher bands, as the links between ideas are occasionally repetitive or simplistic.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common items like 'luxurious commodity' and 'linguistics,' though some word choices are imprecise or non-standard, such as 'symbol of flex' and 'calm and compose' (should be 'composed'). Spelling errors like 'Their' instead of 'There' and 'distinct' instead of 'distinguish' occur. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning, the lack of precision and occasional errors in collocation prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Satisfaction and peace does not always comes') and incorrect word forms ('money act as happiness'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices and missing articles. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over more complex structures, keeping the score in the mid-range.

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.