People rely too much on technology
This is a sample answer written to show what a Band 6.5 response looks like, and where it falls short of Band 7. It is a worked example, not a graded submission. To see your own band, paste your writing into the free checker.
The prompt
Some people say that we have become too dependent on technology in our everyday lives. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Band 6.5 sample answer (261 words)
Nowadays, technology is everywhere in our lives, and many people say we depend on it too much. I agree with this opinion, because people cannot do many things without technology, and this dependence is causing problems for us.
Firstly, people use technology for almost everything in their daily lives. For example, they use smartphones to communicate, to find directions, to pay for things and to remember important dates. If the phone battery dies, many people feel lost and they do not know what to do. This shows that people depend on technology too much. Also, students use the internet for all their homework, so they do not remember information by themselves anymore.
Secondly, technology is making people lazy. In the past, people walked to shops or cooked their own food, but now they order everything online and get it delivered. Also, workers use computers for every small task, and if the system stops working, the whole office cannot do anything. This is a big problem for companies and for society also.
On the other hand, some people say technology makes life easier and saves time, and this is true. However, I think the problem is that we cannot live without it now, and that is not a healthy situation. People should try to do some things without technology, for example remembering phone numbers or using a paper map sometimes.
In conclusion, I agree that people rely on technology too much in their everyday lives. Technology is useful, but people should keep some basic skills so they are not helpless without it.
Why this reaches Band 6.5
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Task Response
The position is clear and consistent, which is solid, but the ideas stay at the level of examples ("if the phone battery dies", "order everything online") and are never pushed further into consequences or analysis. That lack of development is what holds Task Response below 7.
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Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing is logical, but the linking is mechanical: "Firstly", "Secondly", "Also" appears three times, and "This shows that" and "This is a big problem" do the connecting work a Band 7 answer would do through the ideas themselves.
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Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is safe and repetitive: "technology" and "people" carry nearly every sentence, and phrases like "too much" and "big problem" recur. There is little of the less common language, such as precise collocations, that Band 7 requires.
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Sentences are mostly accurate but simple, with limited variety. Slips such as "for companies and for society also" and the repeated "they do not know what to do" pattern are minor, but the narrow range keeps this criterion at 6 to 7 rather than securely 7.
The one fix to reach Band 7
The fastest route from this 6.5 to a 7 is development: take the two strongest examples, the dead phone battery and the office system failure, and extend each one into a consequence for people or society, instead of adding "Also" and another new example. Fewer ideas, pushed further, would lift Task Response and cohesion at the same time.
Now check your own answer.
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