IELTS Essay: Band 6, 7 and 8 Examples with Analysis

The best way to understand how a band 8 essay differs from a band 6 essay is to see the same paragraph at three levels. The task and all texts below were written for this article.

Task. In many cities, an increasing number of people are choosing to live alone. What are the reasons for this trend? Is it a positive or negative development?

This is a two-part question: you need to answer both about the reasons and about your evaluation.

One Paragraph — Three Levels

Band 6

There are many reasons why people live alone nowadays. Firstly, people have more money than before. Secondly, people want freedom. Thirdly, people get married later. For example, in my country many young people live alone. So there are many reasons for this trend.

Why 6: reasons are listed but not developed; people in every sentence; mechanical linkers Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly; the example is too general; the last sentence repeats the first.

Band 7

One of the main reasons for this trend is that people are getting married later than in the past. Young professionals often prefer to focus on their careers first, so they move into their own apartments instead of living with a partner. In addition, higher incomes in big cities make it possible to afford a flat without sharing the rent. For instance, many graduates in large cities rent studios close to their offices.

Why 7: two reasons with explanation, better cohesion, more precise vocabulary (focus on their careers, afford a flat). But the reasons are still listed rather than linked into one line of argument, and the example remains general.

Band 8

The most significant factor behind this trend is arguably a shift in the timing of major life events. Because many young adults now delay marriage and children until their thirties, there is a much longer period in which living independently is both possible and appealing. Rising salaries in urban areas reinforce this: a single income that once covered only a shared room can now often pay for a small flat. A software developer in her late twenties, for example, may reasonably prefer a studio near her office to a longer commute from a shared house, valuing privacy and time over savings.

Why 8: one central idea is developed logically (shift in life stages → longer period of independence → higher incomes reinforce the effect); cohesion through meaning (reinforce this) rather than mechanical linkers; precise collocations (delay marriage, a single income, valuing privacy over savings); a specific, plausible example; varied grammar with no errors.

Full Band 8 Essay

The number of people living on their own has risen sharply in many cities over recent decades. This essay will argue that the trend is largely driven by economic independence and changing life patterns, and that, although it carries some social risks, it is on balance a positive development.

The most significant factor behind this trend is a shift in the timing of major life events. Because many young adults now delay marriage and children until their thirties, there is a much longer period in which living independently is both possible and appealing. Rising urban salaries reinforce this: a single income can now often pay for a small flat. At the other end of life, longer life expectancy means that many older people, particularly widows and widowers, spend years living alone, often by choice rather than necessity.

In my view, this development is mostly positive. Living alone allows people to organise their lives around their own priorities, and for many it reflects a degree of financial security that previous generations lacked. It may also encourage self-reliance, as those who live alone must manage everything from budgeting to household repairs themselves. That said, the trend is not without drawbacks. Single-person households use more housing and energy per person, and some residents, especially the elderly, are at risk of isolation. These problems, however, are best addressed through better urban planning and community services rather than by viewing solitary living itself as undesirable.

In conclusion, more people live alone because they marry later, earn more and live longer. Despite concerns about resources and loneliness, I believe the trend largely reflects greater freedom and prosperity, and is therefore a welcome change.

Analysis by criteria:

• Task Response: both parts of the question are addressed; the position is stated in the introduction and maintained throughout; drawbacks are acknowledged but the position is defended.
• Coherence and Cohesion: each paragraph answers its own part of the question; cohesion through at the other end of life, that said, these problems.
• Lexical Resource: life expectancy, financial security, self-reliance, single-person households, isolation — precise and appropriate.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: subordinate clauses of reason, comparison, passive, complex noun phrases, with no errors.

How to Practise with These Examples

Do not memorise essays. Take your own practice essay, find a paragraph that looks like the band 6 version, and rewrite it following the band 8 model: one idea, mechanism, consequence, specific example. Practise this regularly to build the habit.

For Task 2 structure, see Writing Task 2, and for the assessment criteria, see IELTS Writing Assessment Criteria. The full method is in the Writing guide.