Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-22

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 7.0)

It is widely believed that the major factor behind a happy life is having a substantial amount of money. Although money is quite important to fulfil many dreams, a healthy lifestyle and strong social bondings are equally siginificant for bringing happiness in one's life.

On the one hand, there are various reasons why people believe that happiness depends on the weatlh of a person. The most compelling reason for believing this is that wealthy individuals can easily pursue their hobbies and fulfil their dreams which leads to a contented life. When poor people have to choose between their basic needs and their wants due to limited income, it leads to dissatisfaction in life whereas affluent people do not need to think twice before spending any amount on fulfilling their desires. For example, if people have more savings, they can enjoy leisure activities such as travelling and shopping. Therefore, high-income increases people's purchasing power which makes them confident and satisfied.

On the other hand, sound health is significant for living a blissful life. Financially stability becomes useless if a person is suffering from physiological or psychological problems. If society members are not physically fit, even a luxurious experience cannot make them happy. For instance, even though rich patients can afford a ticket of any adventerous sport, they would not be allowed to perform those activities due to their health issues which may lead to unhappy experience. Moreover, people need strong familial relationships and friendships for enjoying their life to the fullest. Loneliness and depression are becoming really common these days which makes it crucial for community members to spend quality time with each other. As a result, finances cannot replace the emotional connections that are needed for a satisfied life.

In conclusion, it is undeniable that wealthy lifestyle could lead to happy momets, this is not the only way to stay happy as sound health and strong social connections are indispensable part of a happy lifestyle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response fully addresses both parts of the prompt, exploring how money brings happiness through purchasing power and the pursuit of dreams, while also examining alternative sources of happiness such as health and social connections. The student establishes a clear position from the introduction and maintains it throughout the essay. Ideas are well developed and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as the comparison between affluent individuals and those struggling with basic needs, and the limitations of wealth in the face of health issues. The response meets all task requirements thoroughly and demonstrates a strong understanding of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction outlines the thesis, the first body paragraph discusses money, the second body paragraph explores health and social bonds, and the conclusion summarizes the main points. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'For instance', and 'Moreover' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is logical and managed appropriately. While referencing is generally clear, occasional mechanical transitions prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, using less common items such as 'substantial amount', 'compelling reason', 'affluent individuals', and 'indispensable part'. There are, however, a few noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'siginificant' (significant), 'weatlh' (wealth), 'Financially' (Financial), and 'adventerous' (adventurous). Despite these slips, the lexical resource is adequate for the task, and meaning is never obscured by vocabulary limitations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional clauses ('If society members are not physically fit...') and relative clauses successfully. There are several grammatical errors present, such as 'bringing happiness in one's life' (to one's life), 'high-income increases' (high income increases), and 'unhappy experience' (an unhappy experience). Punctuation is generally sound, and the errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the arguments easily.

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