Band 7, 8 and 9 IELTS Task 2 sample essays with examiner annotations

Sample essays are one of the most useful study tools available to IELTS candidates — but only if you use them correctly. The goal is not to memorise phrases or copy structures wholesale. Instead, study the moves: how the writer positions their argument in the introduction, how each body paragraph opens and develops, how ideas are linked without sounding mechanical, and how the conclusion does more than simply repeat what came before. The three essays below are written at authentic Band 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 levels respectively, each on a different question type so you can see how the band descriptors play out across a range of tasks. Read them once for content, then again specifically for the features highlighted in each examiner annotation. Candidates working with the Band 7 Writing Playbook will find these essays a useful companion to the structured practice routines covered there.

What genuinely separates the three bands is not length or vocabulary difficulty alone. At Band 7, the writer has a clear position and can argue it coherently, but the range of grammatical structures and vocabulary is somewhat predictable, and there are occasional errors or awkward collocations that an examiner notices immediately. At Band 8, those limitations largely disappear: the writer moves between complex structures with confidence, hedges and qualifies ideas naturally, and chooses precise vocabulary rather than approximate vocabulary. At Band 9, the writing feels entirely uncontrived — argument, language and organisation are all serving the same purpose simultaneously, and there is no sense of the writer reaching for effects.

Band 7.0 sample essay

Prompt: Some people believe that governments should make laws to reduce the amount of food that people waste. Others think that individuals themselves should be responsible for wasting less food. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. (Discussion — Both Views question)

Food waste is a serious problem in many parts of the world, and there is disagreement about whether governments or individuals should take the lead in solving it. This essay will examine both perspectives before arguing that individual responsibility, supported by government guidance, is the most effective approach.

Those who favour government legislation argue that laws are the only way to create meaningful change at a large scale. Supermarkets and food manufacturers produce enormous quantities of waste, and without legal obligations they have little financial incentive to reduce it. For example, France has introduced legislation requiring large supermarkets to donate unsold food to charities rather than discarding it. Supporters of this view believe that such measures can achieve results that voluntary action cannot.

On the other hand, many people feel that reducing food waste is ultimately a personal responsibility. Households make daily decisions about what to buy, how to store it, and when to throw it away, and no law can easily govern these private choices. Furthermore, when people are educated about the environmental and financial costs of waste, many are willing to change their habits voluntarily. Community campaigns encouraging meal planning and the use of leftovers have had considerable success in several countries.

In my opinion, neither approach alone is sufficient. Governments should set clear standards for the food industry and create awareness through public campaigns, but lasting change depends on individuals adopting more responsible attitudes in their daily lives. The two approaches are complementary, not competing. In conclusion, addressing food waste requires both government action and individual commitment, and the most effective strategies will combine these two forces rather than relying on one exclusively.

Examiner verdict — Band 7.0 Task Response: The writer addresses both views and offers a clear personal opinion. The argument is logical and relevant, and the French supermarket example is apt. However, the ideas are developed at a fairly general level — the body paragraphs identify positions rather than fully exploring the reasoning behind them. The conclusion restates the view without adding nuance. Coherence & Cohesion: The essay is well-organised with a clear four-paragraph structure. Cohesive devices are used correctly ('Furthermore', 'On the other hand', 'In my opinion') but the range is somewhat limited and at times mechanical. Paragraph openings are clear but formulaic ('Those who favour...', 'On the other hand...'). Lexical Resource: Vocabulary is generally appropriate and there are some good choices ('financial incentive', 'voluntary action', 'complementary'). Occasional imprecision appears — 'have had considerable success' is vague where a stronger writer might be more specific. No significant errors, but the range is not wide. Grammatical Range & Accuracy: A mix of simple and complex sentences is used, mostly accurately. Relative clauses and conditional structures appear ('when people are educated...', 'no law can easily govern'). There are no major errors, but the structures are largely predictable and there is limited use of passive voice or more sophisticated constructions.

Band 8.0 sample essay

Prompt: In many countries, young people are increasingly choosing to live alone rather than with their families or partners. Do you think this is a positive or negative development? (Opinion — Single-View question)

Across much of the developed world, the proportion of adults living in single-person households has risen steadily over the past two decades. While some commentators view this shift with concern, I would argue that it is, on balance, a positive development — one that reflects and reinforces greater personal autonomy, even as it brings challenges that societies must take seriously.

The most compelling case for solo living lies in what it enables rather than what it denies. When people are free from the daily negotiations that shared households inevitably involve, they often report higher levels of satisfaction with their living environment and greater capacity to pursue personal and professional goals without compromise. Research in several Northern European countries, where solo living is most prevalent, suggests that single-person households score notably well on measures of life satisfaction — partly because residents can structure their time and space entirely according to their own preferences. This freedom also tends to make individuals more deliberate about the social connections they do form, rather than relying passively on cohabitation as a substitute for genuine intimacy.

That said, the trend is not without legitimate drawbacks. Living alone carries a higher per-capita environmental footprint — a single household consumes proportionally more energy and generates more packaging waste than a shared one. There are also documented risks of social isolation, particularly for older adults living alone without adequate community infrastructure. These concerns, however, are arguments for better urban design and social policy rather than arguments against the underlying choice itself.

Ultimately, the rise of solo living is best understood as an expression of rising living standards and individual freedom, not as a social pathology. Provided that governments invest in the infrastructure — affordable housing, community spaces, health services — that allows people living alone to remain connected, the trend should be welcomed rather than reversed.

Examiner verdict — Band 8.0 Task Response: The position is clear, consistent and well-argued throughout. Crucially, the writer does not simply assert an opinion but builds a case, acknowledges counterarguments and then answers them ('These concerns, however, are arguments for better urban design... rather than arguments against the underlying choice itself'). The ideas are developed with genuine specificity — the reference to Northern European research and the per-capita environmental footprint point are both relevant and precise. Coherence & Cohesion: The essay flows naturally. Cohesive devices are varied and unobtrusive ('one that reflects and reinforces', 'That said', 'Ultimately'). Paragraph progression is logical, and the writer moves between the macro argument and supporting detail without losing the thread. The opening of the second body paragraph ('That said, the trend is not without legitimate drawbacks') is a particularly well-managed pivot. Lexical Resource: The range here is noticeably wider than at Band 7. Phrases such as 'daily negotiations that shared households inevitably involve', 'substitute for genuine intimacy', and 'social pathology' demonstrate confident and precise deployment of vocabulary. Collocations are natural throughout and there are no awkward word choices. Grammatical Range & Accuracy: A wide variety of structures is used accurately and purposefully — embedded relative clauses, participle phrases ('one that reflects and reinforces'), conditional constructions, and passive voice are all deployed naturally. The sentences vary in length and rhythm in a way that serves the argument. There are no errors.

Band 9.0 sample essay

Prompt: Rising levels of air pollution in cities are largely caused by the increased use of private vehicles. What problems does this cause, and what measures could be taken to address them? (Problem-Solution question)

Urban air quality has deteriorated markedly in cities across the globe, and private vehicle use — with its associated emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter — bears a substantial share of the responsibility. The consequences reach well beyond the inconvenience of smog, and the solutions, while not technically elusive, require a degree of political will that many administrations have so far been reluctant to muster.

The most immediate damage is medical. Long-term exposure to vehicle emissions is causally linked to respiratory disease, cardiovascular conditions and premature death, with children, the elderly and those already in poor health bearing a disproportionate burden. A 2023 World Health Organisation report estimated that outdoor air pollution contributes to approximately seven million deaths globally each year, a toll concentrated overwhelmingly in high-density urban areas. Beyond individual health, the economic implications are considerable: reduced workforce productivity, heightened demand on healthcare systems, and the measurable depression of property values in heavily polluted corridors all translate into costs that fall on public budgets regardless of who bears the initial blame.

Effective responses tend to operate on two levels simultaneously. At the supply side, cities can accelerate the shift away from combustion engines through congestion pricing schemes — London and Stockholm provide well-documented precedents — combined with aggressive investment in fast, reliable and affordable public transit. The crucial insight from successful cases is that removing the private car requires providing a credible alternative, not simply penalising the existing behaviour. At the demand side, financial incentives for electric vehicle adoption, employer-supported cycling programmes, and the redesign of urban space to favour pedestrians and cyclists over throughput traffic have all demonstrated measurable impact where implemented with sufficient scale and commitment.

The barriers are real but surmountable. Vested interests in the automotive and fuel industries, suburban planning legacies that make car dependency structurally rational for millions of households, and the political cost of any measure that is perceived to target ordinary drivers — all of these create friction. Yet the trajectory of cities that have acted decisively is instructive: cleaner air, reduced road noise, reclaimed public space and, in most cases, no net economic penalty. The question is less whether the solutions are known than whether the appetite for enacting them can be sustained against short-term political pressure.

Examiner verdict — Band 9.0 Task Response: Both parts of the question are addressed fully and with exceptional depth. The problems identified are specific and backed by credible detail (the WHO figure, the economic dimensions); the solutions are concrete, evidenced and accompanied by a nuanced discussion of why implementation is difficult. The argument moves — it does not simply list problems then list solutions but frames the relationship between them. Nothing is irrelevant and nothing important is omitted. Coherence & Cohesion: The essay reads as continuous, purposeful prose. Paragraphing is logical without being mechanical — each paragraph advances the overall argument rather than simply containing a topic. Cohesive language is entirely natural ('bears a substantial share', 'Beyond individual health', 'The crucial insight from successful cases is that'). The final paragraph's opening ('The barriers are real but surmountable') is a sophisticated rhetorical move that acknowledges complexity without conceding the argument. Lexical Resource: The vocabulary is expert-level and consistently accurate. Technical precision ('nitrogen oxides and particulate matter', 'congestion pricing schemes', 'combustion engines') is paired with abstract vocabulary ('political will', 'vested interests', 'car dependency structurally rational'). Collocations are entirely natural, register is consistent throughout, and there is no sense of the writer searching for a word or settling for an approximate one. Grammatical Range & Accuracy: The grammatical range is the widest of the three essays and is deployed entirely in service of meaning. Passive constructions, nominalisations ('the measurable depression of property values'), embedded clauses, participle phrases and varied sentence lengths all appear without any feeling of contrivance. There are zero errors. A native-speaker examiner would read this essay without pausing.

What moves an essay up a band

The table below summarises the key differences across the four IELTS Writing Task 2 marking criteria as you move from Band 7 to Band 9. Use it as a diagnostic checklist when reviewing your own practice essays.

The single most important upgrade from Band 7 to Band 8

Most candidates at 6.5 to 7.0 are already writing accurate, organised essays. What holds them back is development: body paragraphs that identify a point but do not fully explore the reasoning, or examples that are mentioned rather than analysed. The jump from 7 to 8 is largely about writing more with the same number of words — specificity, evidence, and the willingness to complicate your own argument slightly before resolving it.

The single most important upgrade from Band 8 to Band 9

At Band 8, the machinery is still occasionally visible — a phrase that is slightly more formal than it needs to be, a cohesive device that announces the paragraph turn rather than enacting it, a structure that is grammatically impressive but not quite the most natural way to express the idea. Band 9 writing has no visible machinery. The focus should shift from demonstrating range to using range only when it serves the argument. Most candidates never reach 9 because they are still performing sophistication rather than deploying it.

Key reminder: IELTS Task 2 essays are marked on a holistic impression anchored to descriptors, not a checklist. Examiners are experienced readers who form an overall sense of band very quickly. The practical implication is that consistent quality across an essay matters far more than brilliant moments surrounded by weaker writing. One excellent paragraph does not compensate for three mediocre ones.