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)

It is often argued that Buying few good quality of clothes are much better than purchasing abundance of cheaper clothes. While some people believe that it's totally fine to have different type of clothes in cheap price, I completely agree with this view. This essay will discuss the main reasons for my position, with relevant examples.

The first reason why I agree with this statement is that most of the time people do not prefer to wear the same dress more than thrice. This is because they get bored with the same clothes easily. Also, mostly they hangout with the same friends and do not like to repeat the same clothes. Furthermore, people can get trending clothes easily, so they can easily follow every trend without any budget restrictions. For example, nowadays polka dots clothes are so trendy and people can easily buy in cheap rates and can stop wearing when it will not be a part of the trend anymore. Therefore, it is clear that buying more cheap clothes are better than few expensive clothes.

Another important reason is that sometime people able to get branded clothes in less price in the thrift store. In other words, if they would like to wear some branded clothes in some good reputation meetings, so they can wear those with any hesitation. Consequently, by the thrift store they can wear basically good quality of clothes in cheap price.

In conclusion, I agree with the view that having cheap clothes can be more beneficial rather than buying couple of expensive clothes This is mainly because they can have different choice in clothes with some cheap branded clothes too.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt, but there is a significant issue with the position taken. The prompt asks whether it is better to buy a few expensive clothes versus many cheap ones. You argue in favor of cheap clothes, but your introduction states you agree with the statement (which favors expensive clothes), creating a contradiction. Furthermore, the arguments are somewhat repetitive, focusing heavily on trends and thrift stores. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout the essay and provide more nuanced development of ideas, such as discussing the environmental impact or the long-term durability of garments, rather than just focusing on fashion trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'In other words' and 'Consequently' used in the third paragraph. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'they', 'those') is always clear and unambiguous. The conclusion is a bit abrupt and repeats the main points without adding a final thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on basic descriptors like 'cheap' and 'good quality' repeatedly. There are also some collocation errors, such as 'in cheap price' (should be 'at a low price') and 'different type of clothes' (should be 'different types of clothing'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to consumer habits, such as 'fast fashion', 'disposable income', 'durability', or 'cost-effectiveness', and ensure that word choices are grammatically and contextually accurate.

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 distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('buying few good quality of clothes are' should be 'is'), article usage ('in the thrift store' vs 'in thrift stores'), and awkward phrasing ('people able to get' should be 'people are able to get'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. Increasing the variety of complex structures while focusing on accuracy in basic verb forms and prepositions would significantly improve your score.

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

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