Samples / Task 2 essay / Problem and solution / Band 7

Causes of and solutions to rising obesity: a Task 2 essay

A worked IELTS problem and solution answer on adult obesity, scored against the four public band descriptors with evidence marked.

The question

Obesity rates among adults are rising in many countries. What are the causes of this problem, and what measures could be taken to address it?

In many countries the number of adults who are obese is rising every year. There are several reasons for this situation and I believe governments and individuals can both take action to solve it. The main cause is the change in our diet. Fast food is very cheap and it is everywhere in the cities, so many people eat it several times in a week. This food contain a lot of sugar and fat, and one meal can have more calories than a person need for the whole day. Another cause is the lack of exercise. In the past people walked to the work or used the bicycle, but now most people drive the car and then they sit in the office for eight hours. In the evening they are tired so they watch television instead of doing sport. Also many people work long hours and they have no time to cook a healthy meal at home. There are some solutions for this problem. Firstly, the government could put a higher tax on the drinks and the food with a lot of sugar, because when the price is higher people buy less. This method already worked in Mexico. Secondly, schools should teach children about the nutrition and give them healthy lunches, because the habits from the childhood usually continue in the adult life. Thirdly, cities can build more parks and cycle lanes so people can do exercise easily and free. In conclusion, obesity is increasing mainly because of the unhealthy food and the lack of physical activity. In my opinion a combination of taxes, education and better facilities would reduce this problem, but people must also take the responsibility for their own choices.

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This answer was written by a language model to a real exam question, then scored by Bandly against the four public band descriptors. The band is a software estimate. No examiner has marked it, and the band a real examiner would award may differ. Scored with hand-authored on 2026-10-11.

Estimated overall

Mean of the four criteria, rounded the way the exam rounds it.

Task Response 8

This is a band 8 for Task Response because all parts of the task are sufficiently addressed with a clear position and relevant, developed ideas, but the response lacks the depth and full development expected at band 9.

Coherence and Cohesion 6

The response arranges information and ideas coherently with a clear overall progression, but the referencing is not always clear or appropriate, and paragraphing is not always logical.

Lexical Resource 6

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but occasional inaccuracies in word choice and a somewhat limited range prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy 7

You use a variety of complex structures and produce frequent error-free sentences, but a few errors in grammar and punctuation prevent a higher score.

What would take this higher

To improve your Coherence and Cohesion score from a band 6 to a band 7, you should focus on using more varied cohesive devices and ensuring your paragraphing is fully logical. In your body paragraphs, instead of relying on mechanical transitions like "Firstly," "Secondly," and "Thirdly," you could use smoother linking phrases to connect your ideas about sugar taxes and school education. Additionally, resolving referencing errors, such as the unnecessary repetition of the definite article in phrases like "the work" and "the nutrition," would significantly enhance the overall flow and progression of your writing.

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