Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-06
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 5.0)
In this materialist era, people prefer to buy branded clothes instead of buying more clothes of less price. This happens because everyone wants to look good and I strongly oppose this viewpoint. I believe, clothes can not justify personality of any individual.
One of the major reasons is the wastage of money. People spend a major amount of their earnings on branded clothes because they want to look superior from everyone in their circle. As a result, they buy branded bags, accessories, and dresses which left them empty ended. For instance, it has been seen that working youngsters take financial help from their parents whenever they need.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 107 words. Consequently, the development of ideas is severely limited. While you state a position, the arguments regarding financial wastage are underdeveloped and lack sufficient supporting evidence or a balanced exploration of the prompt. To reach a higher band, you must expand your response by providing more detailed examples, exploring the counter-argument, and ensuring the essay is of the required length to allow for a full discussion of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into short paragraphs, but the lack of length prevents the development of a logical progression of ideas. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'One of the major reasons' and 'For instance', but the overall structure is too brief to demonstrate a full range of cohesive features. The flow between sentences is generally clear, but the limited content makes the writing feel fragmented. To improve, focus on linking your ideas more fluidly and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by detailed supporting points.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. Phrases like 'materialist era' and 'justify personality' are understandable but slightly unnatural in this context. There is limited use of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. To improve, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to consumerism and personal finance, and focus on using collocations more accurately, such as 'financial burden' instead of 'financial help' or 'empty ended'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'clothes can not justify personality of any individual' (missing articles) and 'which left them empty ended' (incorrect verb tense and idiom usage). While the meaning is generally clear, the limited length restricts the opportunity to demonstrate a wide range of complex grammatical structures. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and varying your sentence structure to include more sophisticated clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.