Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-19
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 5.0)
It is true that, a few people think that only a lot of money makes your life happy, but some people believe that only money do not make people happy and the other things in the life people make happy. However, there are some factors of this phenomenon and the ideas will be discussed in th upcoming paragraphs.
To commence with, there are some issues of this trend. The first and the foremost reason is that, people believe that they can getting all the things, when they have to a lot of money and achieve their dreams. Moreover, In these days, money becomes a powerful thing for people, because with the uses of money they can show their class to other persons, So it is a big reason, people think that the money gives you all things in your life and other things do not exist for you make a happy person.
Nevertheless, there are some ideas of this notion. Firstly, if people the main way to be happy in their life is to have a lot of money, then they cannot compromise with their desires and buy all their favourite things. However, if people only find their hapiness from the money, then they can lose their relation with middle class society or relatives as well as they cannot respect to hardworker and it is adverse of their relation.
In conclusion, although there are some reasons and ideas of this statement, due to aforementioned paragraphs.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address both parts of the prompt regarding how money makes people happy and what other things bring happiness. However, the response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 250 words, standing at 245 words, which impacts task completion. While the student outlines some reasons why people associate money with happiness and briefly touches on alternative sources of fulfillment like relationships, the ideas lack sufficient depth, extension, and clear examples. The position is somewhat obscured by convoluted phrasing, particularly in the introduction and conclusion, leading to an overall under-developed treatment of the prompt. Consequently, the score reflects a limited and partially developed response in accordance with Band 5 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text demonstrates a basic organizational structure with clear paragraph breaks, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward transitions and repetitive phrasing, such as 'there are some issues of this trend' and 'there are some ideas of this notion.' Cohesive devices are often used mechanically or inaccurately, as seen in the misuse of 'Nevertheless' and 'However' to connect contrasting ideas. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow the flow of argument. Paragraphing is attempted, but the conclusion is truncated and fails to summarize the essay effectively. These limitations place the response firmly at Band 5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is repetitive and basic, relying heavily on simple terms like 'money,' 'happy,' 'things,' and 'people.' There are noticeable word choice and collocation errors throughout the essay, such as 'they can getting all the things' and 'other things do not exist for you make a happy person.' The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'phenomenon' and 'foremost,' but these are often used in contexts where they feel unnatural or forced. Spelling and morphological errors, such as 'hapiness,' 'relation' instead of 'relationships,' and 'hardworker' instead of 'hard workers,' further restrict the lexical score. Overall, the vocabulary is minimally adequate for the task, fitting the Band 5 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay displays a limited range of grammatical structures, with frequent attempts at complex sentences resulting in faulty grammar and tangled syntax. Examples include 'money do not make people happy and the other things in the life people make happy' and 'if people the main way to be happy in their life is to have a lot of money.' There are frequent errors in verb forms, prepositions, and clause structures, such as missing subjects and incorrect auxiliary usage ('when they have to a lot of money'). While these errors rarely completely obscure the core message, they cause frequent strain for the reader and prevent the text from reaching a higher band level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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