Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-06

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 7.0)

It is often argued that money is the key to happiness. Although having a substantial amount of money can certainly make life more comfortable, I believe that money alone cannot guarantee happiness. There are several other important factor, such as family, relationship, good health and personal satisfaction, that can make people genuinely happy.

To begin with, having plenty of money can contribute to happiness in several ways. First anf formost, It can provide financial security. People with a good income can afford a comfertable home, nutritious food, quality education and healthcare without constantly worrying about their expenses. In addition, Money gives people the opportunities to enjoy leisure activities, travel and pursue their hobbies. For example, a financially stable person may be able to take a holiday with their family, which can help them make unforgettable memories. Money can reduce stress and provide a better standard of living.

However, I would argue that there are more meaningful sources of happiness than wealth. Aclose-knit family and supportive friends can provide emotional support during difficult times. Having someone to share both achievement and problems with can give people a strong sense of belonging. Moreover, good health is extremely important because even a wealthy person may not be happy if they suffer from serious health problems.

In conclusion, wealth can improve people quality of life and provide financial security, but it is not the only source of happiness. Strong relationship, good health, meaningful work anmd peace of mind are equally, if not more, important for living a happy and satisfying life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining how having money can bring happiness, such as through financial security and leisure opportunities, while also discussing other contributing factors like family, relationships, and good health. You maintain a clear and consistent position throughout the essay. Your ideas are well extended and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as taking a holiday with family. However, there is a slight tendency to over-generalise in certain places, which keeps the response at this level. To reach higher bands, you could develop your main ideas with even more specific, detailed examples or deeper real-world analysis, ensuring every supporting point is fully fleshed out with nuanced argumentation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

You demonstrate a clear logical organisation and progression throughout your essay, making it easy to follow your line of argument from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct central theme, such as the benefits of wealth in the second paragraph and alternative sources of happiness in the third. You use a variety of cohesive devices quite flexibly, including transition markers like 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'However'. Nevertheless, minor mechanical slips in cohesion or referencing occasionally surface, and pushing further would require seamless, unobtrusive referencing and a completely natural flow between all sentences without relying heavily on standard signposting phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You display a sufficient vocabulary range to allow for some flexibility and precision, successfully using less common lexical items such as 'financial security', 'close-knit family', 'emotional support', and 'standard of living'. You show some awareness of collocation and style. However, there are occasional lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as 'factor' instead of 'factors', 'First anf formost' with typos, 'comfertable' instead of 'comfortable', and 'anmd' in the final paragraph. To achieve a higher score, you need to eliminate these spelling and word-form errors entirely while consistently incorporating a wider range of sophisticated, less common vocabulary with complete naturalness and precise collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

Your essay features a good variety of complex structures alongside simple sentences, resulting in frequent error-free sentences that display good overall control of grammar and punctuation. You successfully employ complex clauses, conditional structures, and modal verbs. However, a few persistent errors remain, such as capitalization issues like 'It can provide' and 'Money gives', subject-verb agreement oversights like 'other important factor', and missing plural forms in 'Strong relationship'. To move up to the next band, you must increase the proportion of error-free complex sentences and ensure meticulous accuracy in punctuation, articles, and agreement throughout the entire response.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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