Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-24

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 5.5)

In contemporary society, everyone likes to spend. Some likes to spend on clothes, some on shoes and perfumes, while some on electronic gadgets. Nowadays everyone wants to be seen. A considerable number of people thinks that wearing good clothes give them value in society. In this essay, I will discuss whether buying few expensive clothes is better than lots of cheaper clothes.

A person's spending is directly proportional to his earning. In addition, what kind of people he/she spends his/her most of the time? Buying branded clothes may be beneficial because brand sells good quality, long durability. Moreover, most of time the clothe is one time purchase that a person may use for longer period. For instance, if a person buys a jacket or a blazer for winter season from a reputable brand he does not need to buy that every year.

On the other hand, some people prefer to buy cheap clothes not because they cannot afford to buy expensive but only because they like to have more variety. Paying less may give somebody more options to wear but not a good quality. Same goes with shoes, begs, stoles too let alone with clothes.

Buying cheaper may embarrass you too.

Some people prefer quality over quantity while others are completely opposite. I believe that buying expensive but few is far more better than buying cheap and more. One should go with quality because buying one is better than buying ten. Therefore, it is better to spend more than get embarrass in front of others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout, arguing in favor of quality over quantity. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you provide a brief example regarding a jacket or blazer, the arguments remain quite general. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations or nuanced examples. For instance, you could discuss the environmental impact of 'fast fashion' versus sustainable consumption to add depth. The conclusion is clear, but the overall response feels slightly underdeveloped in its reasoning, preventing it from reaching the higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition,' 'Moreover,' and 'On the other hand' to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the sentence 'Buying cheaper may embarrass you too' is a very short, isolated paragraph that disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary society,' 'proportional,' and 'reputable brand.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the clothe is one time purchase' (should be 'clothing is a one-time purchase') and 'let alone with clothes' (which is used incorrectly here). Additionally, there is some repetition of basic vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated, topic-specific vocabulary would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the clothe'), subject-verb agreement ('Some likes to spend'), and pluralization ('begs' instead of 'bags'). Some sentences are also slightly awkward, such as 'what kind of people he/she spends his/her most of the time?'. These errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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