HealthProblem–Solution
IELTS Essay: Stress in Modern Life (Band 9 vs 6.5)
In short
Below is a full Band 9 model answer to this IELTS Writing Task 2 question, the same question written at Band 6.5, and a criterion-by-criterion breakdown of exactly what separates them — so you can see what to change in your own writing. Then check your essay with the free tool.
The question
Many people today suffer from higher levels of stress than previous generations experienced. What are the main causes of this problem, and what measures could individuals and governments take to reduce it?
How to approach a Problem–Solution question
A problem/solution question needs realistic causes or problems in one body paragraph and directly matching solutions in the other. Keep the two linked — each solution should address a problem you actually raised — and be specific: vague answers like 'the government should do more' score poorly compared with concrete, plausible measures.
The plan
- 01Introduction: paraphrase the rise in stress and preview the causes and the two-level (individual and government) solutions.
- 02Body 1 (causes): always-on work culture enabled by smartphones; financial insecurity from housing costs and unstable jobs.
- 03Body 2 (solutions): individuals — digital boundaries and exercise; governments — right-to-disconnect rules and affordable housing / secure contracts.
- 04Conclusion: stress is built into modern work and money pressures, so both personal habits and public policy must change.
Band 9 model answer
Although modern life is safer and more comfortable than anything our grandparents knew, surveys consistently find that people feel more stressed than ever. This essay will argue that the chief causes are an always-on working culture and chronic financial insecurity, and that meaningful relief requires action from individuals and governments alike.
The first and most pervasive cause is that work no longer ends. The smartphone that promised convenience has quietly abolished the boundary between office and home: emails arrive at dinner, messages ping on holiday, and many employees feel judged on their responsiveness at midnight. A mind that is never off duty never recovers. The second cause is economic. In many cities, housing costs have raced ahead of wages while stable careers have given way to short contracts and gig work, so even the employed live with a low hum of anxiety about rent, debt and an unaffordable future.
Both causes suggest their own remedies. Individually, the most effective step is to rebuild boundaries deliberately: switching off notifications after hours, keeping one screen-free day a week, and protecting time for exercise, which remains the best-evidenced stress treatment available. But personal discipline cannot fix structural pressures, which is where governments must act. Right-to-disconnect legislation, already adopted in several countries, makes after-hours contact the exception rather than the norm; beyond that, building affordable housing and tightening rules on insecure contracts would attack the financial roots of anxiety rather than its symptoms.
In conclusion, modern stress stems less from individual weakness than from an economy that colonises our evenings and destabilises our finances. Individuals can defend their own boundaries, but lasting improvement will come only when governments reshape the conditions that create the pressure.
The same question at Band 6.5
Nowadays, stress has become a serious problem and people feel more stress than the people in the past. This essay will discuss the main causes of stress in the modern life and suggest some solutions for this problem.
There are two main causes of stress today. The first cause is work. People work for long hours and their bosses expect them to answer the emails even at night and in the weekend. Because of the smartphones, people cannot relax after work, and their mind is always thinking about the job. The second cause is money. Everything is very expensive now, especially the houses, and the salary is not enough for many people. Also, many jobs are not permanent, so people are always worried about losing their job. All these things make people nervous and they cannot sleep well.
However, there are some solutions for this problem. For individuals, they should turn off their phone after the work time and spend time with their family and friends. Doing exercise is also very good for reducing the stress, for example running or swimming. For governments, they should make a law to stop the companies from sending emails to workers at night. The government can also build cheap houses for the people and control the prices, so people will not worry too much about money.
In conclusion, modern people suffer from stress because of the pressure from work and money problems. Both individuals and the government should work together to solve this problem, so people can live a happier and healthier life.
What separates them, criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Band 9 | Band 6.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Task Response | Two causes are developed with mechanisms ('a mind that is never off duty never recovers') and every solution is matched explicitly to a cause, at both levels the question demands. | Addresses causes and both individual and government solutions, but ideas are announced rather than explained — the essay says what people should do without exploring why it would work. |
| Coherence & Cohesion | The pivot sentence 'Both causes suggest their own remedies' binds the two halves of the essay together, and solutions arrive in the same order as their causes. | Clearly organised into causes then solutions with sensible paragraphing, but transitions are formulaic ('The first cause', 'However, there are some solutions'). |
| Lexical Resource | Memorable, precise language: 'an always-on working culture', 'a low hum of anxiety', 'attack the financial roots ... rather than its symptoms'. | Understandable but flat, with unnecessary articles ('the smartphones', 'reducing the stress') and repetition of 'stress', 'problem', 'people' throughout. |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Complex sentences, non-finite clauses and parallel structures are sustained without error. | Simple structures are secure; errors cluster around articles and prepositions ('in the weekend', 'after the work time') and complex sentences are rare. |
Examiner's note
The two essays choose almost identical content — work pressure, money worries, phone boundaries, government regulation — which makes the comparison unusually instructive: the band gap here is created almost entirely by development and language, not ideas. The Band 9 explains the mechanism behind each cause and names policies precisely ('right-to-disconnect legislation'); the Band 6.5 gestures at the same territory in plain, error-flecked sentences. Candidates should note that a problem-solution essay whose solutions mirror its causes, in order, is far easier for an examiner to reward.
Vocabulary from the Band 9 answer
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| an always-on culture | a way of working in which people are never fully off duty |
| chronic insecurity | a long-lasting state of feeling unsafe or unstable |
| off duty | not working; free from work responsibilities |
| to race ahead of wages | to rise much faster than people's pay |
| gig work | short-term, task-based jobs without a permanent contract |
| a low hum of anxiety | a constant background feeling of worry |
| right-to-disconnect legislation | laws giving workers the right to ignore work contact after hours |
| to attack the roots of a problem | to deal with a problem's underlying causes |
| structural pressures | difficulties built into the system rather than chosen by individuals |
Frequently asked questions
The question mentions individuals and governments — must I cover both?
Yes. When a question names two agents, solutions from only one of them is an incomplete Task Response. The cleanest approach is what both models do: a sentence or two of individual measures, then a clear shift to government measures.
How many causes and solutions should I include?
Two well-developed causes with matching solutions beat four thin ones. Examiners reward depth — explaining how a cause produces stress and why a solution would relieve it — far more than coverage.
Do my solutions have to match my causes?
They should. A solution that addresses a problem you never raised weakens the essay's logic. Notice how the Band 9 pairs phone boundaries and disconnect laws with the work cause, and housing policy with the money cause — same order, explicit links.