Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-09

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

It is better to buy just a few expensive clothes, rather than lots of cheaper clothes.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Expensive clothes usually have comfortable fabrics and long life, whereas cheaper clothes may have used inexpensive materials. Some people say that it is better to have few clothes that last long. From my perspective, a person should spend their money carefully because they may left with no money if they spend everything on one pair. Fashion industry regularly introduces a new design to increase their sales. So it is not worthwhile to spend a fortune on one pair of outfit.

To begin with, there are few reasons why people should not be extravagent on clothing. The first and foremost reason is that the change of trend. It means outfits which are in trend today would become outdated tomorrow. Clothing companies introduced new design everyday to attract consumers. For instance, boggy jeans was very popular in india few years ago but now people used to laugh if they see someone in that outfit.

Furthermore, some people who are in the favour of expensive clothes say that we should not collect several disposal because it confuses individuals on what to wear every morning. However, it is often observed that people feel better when they change their outfits and style everyday. It boost their confidence and develop mental strength. In addition, I personally believe that spending huge amount on a pair is not worthful. Instead buying two pair would allow them choose according to ceremony. For instance, spending 500 USD on one pair of formal dress is worthless, but spending same amount on formal and casual dress allow them to choose for two different occasions.

To sum up, although expensive clothes last long, It is better to buy cheaper outfits due to constant changing of trends. It allows individuals to have clothes for multiple occasions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you argue against spending heavily on a small number of clothes, and the conclusion restates this view. You address the opposing argument about durability and explain your reasons, including changing trends and having outfits for different occasions. The examples of baggy jeans and spending $500 on formal clothing make the discussion more concrete. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that changing outfits develops “mental strength” is not clearly connected to your argument, and the concern about having no money after buying one pair is not developed. Explain the consequences of each reason and connect examples more directly to your position to make the response more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Paragraphs generally focus on relevant points, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore” and “To sum up” help readers follow the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes uneven. The sentence about “disposal” introduces an unclear idea, and the shift from the opposing view to the benefits of changing outfits is abrupt. Some linking phrases, including “The first and foremost reason,” feel formulaic rather than showing the precise relationship between ideas. Use clearer topic sentences and make each example explicitly support the point before moving on; this would make the overall progression smoother and the connections less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “fabrics,” “outdated,” “consumers,” “trend” and “occasions,” which allows you to discuss clothing and fashion clearly. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “spend a fortune.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “long life” for clothes, “disposal” for items of clothing, “worthful,” and “boggy jeans.” Spelling errors such as “extravagent” and inconsistent forms such as “everyday” also reduce accuracy. These issues do not prevent the main message from being understood, but they limit precision. Build a bank of natural clothing-related collocations and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including contrast clauses with “whereas” and a concession beginning “although.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “they may left with no money” needs a passive form (“may be left”), while “It boost their confidence” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “spending the same amount on formal and casual dress allow them,” the subject and verb do not agree, and the sentence also needs clearer plural forms. Articles and tense are sometimes inconsistent, as in “a new design everyday” and “companies introduced.” Review agreement, verb forms, articles and singular/plural choices, while retaining your attempts at varied sentence structures.

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