Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23

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)

It is often argued that buying few expensive clothes instead of a large number of cheaper clothing items is a smart choice. There are strong arguments on both sides of this issue, but I completely agree with this stance that fewer expensive clothes is a better option.

One major reason is that expensive clothing items are high-quality and sustainable as compared to low-cost clothing. This is because cheaper clothing items are made of poor quality material that gets damaged easily. For instance, many manufacturers compromise on the quality and material of clothes to make high profit. As a result, cheaper clothes need to be replaced every few month which makes the choice of buying few expensive clothes more cost-efficient.

Another significant reason is that purchasing items just because they are low is cost and not essential for everyday produces a lot of waste. It is a difficult task to store and organize clothing such items in a small space so clothing need to be discarded every now and then. For example, many people end up buying a lot of useless stuff during sales and then give them away because of lack of space. Moreover, cheap clothing materials like polyester are non-biodegradable and produce landfills and microplastics that are harmful to the environment.

Cheaper clothing is suitable for people who prefer fast fashion over quality but for practical people few expensive clothes is the right choice.

In conclusion, I believe having wardrobe with practical clothing items that are high-quality, cost-efficient and sustainable is much better than lots of cheaper clothes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have clearly addressed the prompt and maintained a consistent position throughout the essay. The ideas regarding quality, sustainability, and cost-efficiency are relevant and well-supported. You successfully extended your arguments by discussing both the personal benefits of high-quality items and the broader environmental impact of fast fashion. To reach a higher band, ensure that your examples are slightly more detailed; for instance, instead of mentioning 'many manufacturers,' you could briefly touch upon the concept of 'planned obsolescence' to add depth to your argument. Overall, the response is well-focused and fully addresses all parts of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'One major reason,' 'Another significant reason,' and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing is always precise. For example, in the second paragraph, the phrase 'such items' is slightly awkward in its placement. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'sustainable,' 'cost-efficient,' 'non-biodegradable,' and 'microplastics' appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'low is cost' (should be 'low cost') and 'every few month' (should be 'months'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and idiomatic expressions to move into the higher bands. The current vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but lacks the precision and flexibility required for a band 8.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'fewer expensive clothes is a better option' (subject-verb agreement: 'are' is needed) and 'produce landfills' (a slight misuse of collocation; 'contribute to landfill waste' would be better). Punctuation is generally accurate, though some sentences could be refined for better flow. The errors present do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and prepositional usage will help improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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