Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-08

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 5.5)

Few masses belive owning a chunk of money leads to the happy life. People can buy the things of their own choices which give them pleasure is one of the reasons. Having love ones in the life can be the another reason.i will explain these in my upcoming paraghraphs.

To commence with the first point,individuals can shop whatever they want with their wealth.To explicate, many people cannot purchase expensive things which leads to frustration and unhappy living but lavish person satisfies his needs and enjoy life in better way.For instance, a survey has been done by the oxford university in which 70 percent of people find shopping a stress buster activity.Therefore, having too much money is the biggest reason of happiness.

Furthermore,another thing which can make folks happy is the family and having good friends.To elaborate,many of us likes to share our experiences, struggles and achievements with our loved ones who appreciates us which gives another level of satisfaction and pleasure.For example, a headline in the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) people living separate from their family having reported more mental illness as compared to individuals residing in the joint family.Thus,having loved ones is also blessing to live happily.

To conclude, undoubtedly, wealth is the greastest reason of living happy life but other

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both parts of the question: money can provide access to desired purchases, while family and friends offer emotional support. The examples about shopping and sharing experiences are relevant, and your position that both wealth and relationships contribute to happiness is apparent. However, the discussion is brief and the ideas are only partly explained; for instance, you do not clarify why buying things leads to lasting happiness or give a specific example of how close relationships help someone. The conclusion is also unfinished (“but other…”), so the response does not fully resolve the comparison. In addition, the response is 38 words below the required minimum. Develop each point with clearer reasoning and a complete conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two sources of happiness, and an attempted conclusion. Sequencing is generally logical, and signposts such as “Furthermore” and “To conclude” help readers follow the main points. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward: “To commence with the first point” and “To elaborate” announce connections rather than developing them naturally. Punctuation spacing is inconsistent, which also interrupts the flow. The final paragraph stops mid-thought, weakening the overall progression and leaving the essay without a complete ending. Use clearer links between claims and examples, and ensure each paragraph leads into a finished conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “frustration,” “stress buster,” “satisfaction,” and “mental illness,” which helps communicate the topic. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “lavish person” and “another level of satisfaction,” but some choices are inaccurate or unnatural and can make meaning less clear. Spelling errors such as “belive,” “paraghraphs,” and “greastest” are noticeable, while phrases such as “Few masses” and “the happy life” are not idiomatic. Aim for accurate, natural collocations rather than ornate wording, and proofread spelling. More precise vocabulary for financial security, emotional support, and well-being would help you express the ideas clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “things … which leads to frustration” and a longer explanation of how loved ones provide support. However, control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “People can buy the things of their own choices which give them pleasure is one of the reasons,” where the sentence structure is incomplete, and “many of us likes,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “the another reason.i will explain.” The conclusion is an unfinished sentence. Practise building complete sentences with one clear main clause, check agreement and articles, and use punctuation consistently.

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