Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-27
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 these days , there is a trend to buy clothes a lot .It is good to purchase a some clothes which are expensive ,while buy lots of cheap ones. I am fully partially agree with the give statement, because of few factors . That will be explained by next parts .
To begin with, the trend to buy costly clothes , than affordable clothes is inclined day by day . The first reason is that they quality of expensive clothes is much better for the long term . For example , some people believe to buy expensive clothes to have best durability of clothes , so that they do not need to spend money again and again on shopping . Expensive clothes allows them to have best quality for long time . Moreover, consumers shop expensive clothes ,due to they think they can have status by buying expensive clothes , as compared to have cheap clothes . People feels like they are maintaining their status with expensive clothes .
However , fashion is changing in few seconds in these days . So that few people prefer to buy cheap clothes , because they wear a new cloth for few times . Then, they want to buy new with the latest trend . For example , some people just wear dress for one or two times , after that they might think they need to buy latest and garbage to old clothes. That is why , people buy clothes , which cost less to them .
In conclusion , a lots of people purchase expensive clothes to have status and quality at same time , other hand people want to wear clothes one to two time. so that , they spend less money and choose to buy cheapest clothes .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both sides of the argument. However, the position is not consistently clear; the introduction states 'I am fully partially agree', which is contradictory and confusing. While the essay covers the benefits of quality (durability, status) and the benefits of cheap clothes (following trends), the development is somewhat repetitive. The conclusion summarizes the points but fails to provide a clear, final stance on the issue. To improve, ensure your position is stated clearly in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay, and avoid contradictory phrasing.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'That will be explained by next parts' is an unnatural way to signpost. Transitions like 'To begin with' and 'In conclusion' are used, but the internal flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'garbage to old clothes', which disrupts the logical progression of the argument. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would enhance the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'garbage to old clothes' and 'fashion is changing in few seconds'. The range is limited, relying on basic terms like 'good', 'cheap', and 'expensive'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more varied or academic vocabulary prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on learning topic-specific collocations related to consumerism and fashion would be highly beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('People feels like'), incorrect article usage ('the quality of expensive clothes is much better'), and awkward phrasing ('purchase a some clothes'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces placed before commas. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over complex structures. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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