In some countries, it is becoming increasingly common for people to follow a vegetarian diet. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Sample Response
In a number of countries, following a vegetarian diet has become very popular. Although being a vegetarian can limit dining optionslimit the options when eating, I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because such a diet allows the bodybecause it allows the body to work properly.
For vegetarians, it is difficultFor vegetarian people it is difficult to find varied food optionsvaried options to eat. Since the majority of the world'sworldwide population have a diet that includes animal products, thisthese type of food is what is normally availableis the one that is normally available in food outletsat food businesses. Therefore, people with a vegetarian diet have to choose between a limited number of dishesplates or products when buying food or eating out. For example, in many popular restaurants in Colombia, the menu offers only a small vegetarian sectionmenu has only a short vegetarian section which includes only two or three dishesplates that are completely vegetarian. However, I believe that the options offeredthose options that are offered are healthier than dishesplates that are sold in large quantities.
Following a vegetarian diet helps the body function betterallows the body to work better. This is because science has shown that when the human digestive systemour human system digests animal products, such as meat, it has to work harder to process the food that it is not designed to digestreceive. Thus, people who follow a dietpeople that have a diet based on plants and seeds are more likely to lead healthier livesmore prone to have a healthier life because they allow their bodies to direct energy towards their normal processestheir bodies to focus their energy in its normal processes. For instance, people who become vegetarian are less likely to become illless prone to get sick because their immune system can focus all its energy onhas all the energy focused on fighting bacteria and not causing chronic inflammation because of the food. That is why I consider that following a vegetarian diet can have more benefits in the long term.
In conclusion, although vegetarian people have fewer options when buying products without animal ingredients, it is my belief that following a vegetarian diet has a positive impact on bodily functionspositive impact in the body functions.
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response is strongest in its clear position and straightforward two-part structure, with each side supported by an example. Its main limitation is that the claimed health advantage relies on broad, insufficiently substantiated assertions, which weakens the comparison needed to show why it outweighs the disadvantage. The highest-priority improvement is to build a more credible health argument and explicitly weigh its scale and long-term significance against restricted food choices.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses both sides and maintains a clear opinion, but the principal advantage is developed through questionable generalisations rather than convincing explanation.
Use a defensible health benefit and directly explain why it is more significant than the practical disadvantage.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay has clear paragraphing and logical overall progression, with cohesive devices generally used effectively.
Strengthen the internal progression of the health paragraph by separating the main claim, evidence, and comparative conclusion more clearly.
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient vocabulary to discuss diet and health, but recurring imprecise collocations such as 'plates', 'food businesses', and 'impact in the body functions' reduce accuracy.
Use more natural topic vocabulary, such as 'dishes', 'food outlets', and 'an impact on bodily functions', while avoiding repeated wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex sentences communicates meaning clearly, although agreement, determiner, pronoun, and preposition errors recur.
Prioritise subject-verb and noun agreement in phrases such as 'the majority ... has' and 'this type of food'.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In some countries, it is becoming increasingly common for people to follow a vegetarian diet. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.