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)

Some individuals think that purchasing high-cost clothes is good instead of low-cost clothes. I disagree with this question beacuse there are good clothes under cheaper rate than why to spend more money on clothes instead of saving.

Firstly, in the market there are a lot of shops where are cheaper clothes and they are first copy and in good condition rather than buying that clothes individuals runs to buys expensive brand like Tommy, Michal Kors, H&M and many more. For example-Last week my friend buy her jeans from Michael Kors which is very expensive if she buy from local shop with which have good quality stuff she can 2-3 things more .

Secondly, cheaper clothes are good for middle class people to afford and they can also follow the trend. Individuals should first see more clothes before buying and the quality should be good on other hand shopkeeper is responsible for treating their customer with 100% service. Whereas expensive clothes are not just clothes some people say that is brand soo they go to that side but in my point of view thats just waste of money if you buy every clothes expensive, cheaper clothes are also preety good lokking more than expensive one . i want to tell you my experience last month i just go to mall and i was seeing hoodie for myself firstly i was browsing in local stores and i got one which was in good stuff and affordable rate them i buy thst, after that i go to Artizia where i found same hoodie where i was shocked after seeng the price which was 200$.

In conclusion, buy everything after comparing and seeing the stuff not jusst for high cost clothes .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against buying expensive clothes. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you provide personal anecdotes, such as the comparison between local shops and Aritzia, the arguments remain somewhat superficial and rely on personal preference rather than broader socio-economic or quality-based reasoning. The conclusion is brief and lacks a summary of the main points. To improve, ensure that each paragraph develops a distinct, well-supported argument that directly addresses the implications of the prompt, such as durability, ethical consumption, or financial management, rather than focusing primarily on personal shopping experiences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow between ideas is often mechanical or abrupt. For example, the transition 'Secondly, cheaper clothes are good...' does not clearly link to the previous point about brand names. There is also a lack of varied cohesive devices; you rely heavily on simple connectors like 'Firstly' and 'Secondly'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'with which have good quality stuff', which makes the sentence structure difficult to follow. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring clear pronoun references would significantly enhance the logical progression of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You use basic terms like 'good', 'cheap', and 'expensive' repeatedly. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'under cheaper rate' (should be 'at a lower price') and 'first copy' (a colloquial term for counterfeit goods). Some phrasing is informal, such as 'I want to tell you my experience'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to consumerism, such as 'affordability', 'durability', 'cost-effective', and 'brand consciousness', while avoiding repetitive, simplistic descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('my friend buy her jeans'), incorrect verb tenses ('I just go to mall'), and awkward sentence construction ('than why to spend more money'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas and incorrect spacing. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent verb tense usage and sentence structure accuracy will be key to improvement.

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

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