Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-06

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)

Some people believe that the only way to be happy in life is to have a lot of money. I agree with this statement to a great extent as money can let people to have access to various privileges such as better education, high image in society and others. Nevertheless, some people feel grateful to have a sense of purpose in their life regardless of their economic status.

First of all, money can allow people to provide a better education to their children. They can enroll their children in international universities, where their children not only excel in academics but also get practical exposure. It increases their intelligence and makes them smart. Secondly, people can display their wealth by travelling to popular tourist destinations, attending concerts, traveling in a luxury cars and buy lavish clothes. It will improves their social image and hence give them a sense of satisfaction.

On the other hand, there are people in the world who do not rely on materialistic goods to feel happy. For them having a good health, a caring family and having a sense of purpose in life is a true luxury. For example, There was a known personality "Mother Teresa", she was borne in a wealthy family but yet she choose to live a simple life as a saint. She spent her entire life in helping poor and disabled people. She believed that being able to make a difference in others life gave her true happiness.

In conclusion, money can help people to enjoy their lives and be able to give better development opportunities to their children. It can not replace the satisfaction of being a part of a loving family and being able to care for others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: how money contributes to happiness and alternative sources of happiness. The position is clear, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the explanation of how money leads to a 'high image in society' is brief and could be more deeply explored. The example of Mother Teresa is a good illustration of the counter-argument, though the phrasing 'known personality' is slightly informal. Overall, the essay covers all requirements of the task, but the depth of analysis is more consistent with a Band 6.5 or 7.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Secondly', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there is occasional awkwardness in the flow, such as the transition between the discussion of luxury goods and the conclusion. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'materialistic goods' and 'privileges'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor collocation errors, such as 'high image in society' (should be 'high social status' or 'prestige') and 'traveling in a luxury cars' (grammatical error). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but the lack of precision and occasional errors in word formation prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'money can let people to have access' (should be 'allow people to have access'), 'It will improves' (should be 'It improves'), and 'she was borne in a wealthy family' (should be 'born'). These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate more consistent control over verb forms and sentence construction, particularly with complex structures.

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.