Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21

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 this modern world, an increasing number of individuals prefers to purchase a fewer expensive clothes instead of buying many cheaper clothes. Although both sides have their significant pros and cons, I support to the former notion and firmly believe that it is always better to purchase branded clothes in less quantity compared to cheaper ones in large quantity.

There are several valid reasons to buy expensive clothes. The principal one is, high quality. This is because costly clothing brands provide better quality and extensive durability. For example, famous brands Levi's and Garage offer high quality denim jeans to their customers which is higher in price in comparison of non-branded jeans but they are more durable as well. Moreover, it is a cost-effective. Individuals do not need to spend money frequently if they purchase better quality wears making it cost-effective in the long run.

On the other hand, there are also few benefits of cheaper clothes such as lower price and manageable for youngsters to follow a fashion trend. This is because young individuals especially college students like to follow changing fashion trends which require a number of clothes. In that scenario, it is better to get an affordable and low-priced outfits to manage their financial budget. For example, students prefer to have four different colored and various patterned of $100 outfit so that they can show off by changing outwears everyday rather than spending $400 in one pair of branded pair and wearing the same more often.

In conclusion, individuals think that it is better to spend money to get a few high-priced clothes rather than lots of low-priced ones. In my view, even though cheaper clothes are affordable and easy to manage in terms of financial budget, I support buyers who like to purchase costly and branded outfits because they are not only offering high quality and durability but also cost-effective.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments are relevant, with the benefits of both expensive and cheaper clothing explored. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the point about 'cost-effectiveness' is mentioned but not fully explained in terms of the actual price-per-wear ratio. The conclusion effectively summarizes the writer's stance. To reach a higher band, the student should provide more nuanced analysis rather than relying on simple examples like 'Levi's' or 'showing off'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two sides of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'The principal one is', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there is occasional awkwardness in the flow of ideas, such as the transition between the benefits of cheap clothes and the example provided. Overall, the progression is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'durability', 'cost-effective', and 'fashion trends'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'purchase a fewer expensive clothes' (should be 'fewer expensive items of clothing') and 'various patterned of $100 outfit' (grammatically incorrect). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a fewer expensive clothes'), pluralization ('wears' used as a noun), and preposition usage ('support to the former'). Some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'it is a cost-effective'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. More attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage is needed.

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