Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-25

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, people have their own preference on buying clothes for their daily life. While some people argue that purchasing some costly clothes are better than selecting numerous less expensive clothes because they prefer quality over quantity. I completely disagree with this perspective because I believe that buying cheaper clothes provide many advantages than purchasing few expensive clothes.

To commence with, choosing cheaper clothes rather than expensive clothes provide variety in dressing style. If people have many options in their clothes then, they can select the outfit as per their special occasion. For instance, individuals can wear traditional clothes for their family functions such as wedding and they can choose formal outfit for their office meetings. Therefore, purchasing different cheaper clothes help the individual to fulfill their routine requirements and they can keep themselves upto date with current trend.

Consequently, purchasing expensive clothes are not everybody's cup of tea. Individuals have different purchasing power and not everyone has capacity to afford expensive clothes. As a result, buying cheaper clothes maintain equality, harmony and peace in the society. On the contrary, there are some people who believe in buying few expensive clothes as it serve better quality and longetivity. Neverthless, this advantages are relatively minor when compare with benefits of buying cheaper clothes not only at individual level but also at societal level.

Although few expensive clothes are long-lasting and better in quality, I strongly opine that people need to consider many cheaper alternatives when purchasing clothes because it provide variety in dressing style for different occasions, maintain equality in society, and reduce monotonous of wearing same clothes again and again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The arguments regarding variety, affordability, and social equality are relevant and logically developed. However, the essay could be improved by providing more specific, real-world examples to support the claims, rather than relying on general statements. For instance, the mention of 'traditional clothes' is a good start, but expanding on how expensive items might limit one's ability to participate in diverse social settings would strengthen the argument. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, ensuring the task is fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Consequently', and 'On the contrary' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, though there is occasional repetition of phrases like 'cheaper clothes' and 'expensive clothes' which could be mitigated by using pronouns or synonyms to improve the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language such as 'purchasing power', 'routine requirements', and 'longetivity' (note the spelling error: longevity). While the range is adequate, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Some word choices are slightly repetitive, and there are minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'reduce monotonous' instead of 'reduce the monotony'. Overall, the lexical range is functional and appropriate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'buying cheaper clothes provide' should be 'provides') and pluralization (e.g., 'this advantages' should be 'these advantages'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage issues. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication, and the writer shows a reasonable command of sentence construction, though more consistent accuracy is needed for a higher band.

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

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