Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-24

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 6.5)

In the contemporary era, buying expensive clothes has become a new trend. It is presented for consideration that purchasing luxury clothes are better than getting cheap clothes. In my perspective, it is a unwelcome suggestion, and its implementation may bear certain demerits.

First of all, many luxury brands are selling same quality clothes with their logos on it which makes people think about buying the same quality at less price. In addition, not every person can afford to pay big chunk of money just to buy one set of clothes which serve same purpose. Moreover, all luxury brands manufacture their clothes in other countries to reduce their production cost, and sell their products with logo at higher prices. For instance, Zara is a big luxury brand from America, which usually manufacture and import their clothes from China at cheap prices, and sells the same product labelled as premium in the market.

Furthermore, it is always better to buy m clothes with good quality rather than spending all the money on luxury clothes just to follow the trend. In addition, some premium brands spend a great amount of money on campaigns, and hiring famous people to promote their clothes. These companies always try to create trend and scarcity in people of missing the amazing opportunity of buying these clothes. For example, these companies launch limited addition clothes, and big sales discount for limited time, which inspires people to spend money on these clothes.

To conclude, the issue of buying luxury clothes finds itself surrounded by controversy. In my opinion, from the close observation of this trend, acquiring same quality clothes at less price is better than spending money on luxury brands.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding cost-effectiveness and the marketing strategies of luxury brands are relevant. However, the development is somewhat uneven; the explanation of why it is 'better' to buy fewer expensive items is not fully explored, as the essay focuses more on why luxury brands are overpriced. The example of Zara is also factually questionable, as it is not an American luxury brand, which slightly weakens the support. To reach a higher band, ensure that examples are accurate and that the main argument—the trade-off between quality and quantity—is more deeply analysed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'In addition', 'Moreover', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better link the critique of branding to the conclusion about quality. Overall, the paragraphing is sufficient and appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their opinion clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'luxury brands', 'premium', 'scarcity', and 'controversy'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'unwelcome suggestion' (which sounds unnatural in this context) and 'limited addition' (should be 'limited edition'). The range is sufficient to communicate ideas, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('purchasing luxury clothes are better', 'Zara... usually manufacture') and article usage errors ('at less price' instead of 'at a lower price'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The control of punctuation is generally good, but the frequency of minor errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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