Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01

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)

Nowadays, there are many buyers believe that it is best choice to purchase branded clothes instead of buying too many clothes from local shops. I am agree with purchasing few expensive outfits is better idea. Nevertheless, I will explain my view in details in up coming parts of the essay.

The first and foremost reason behind shopping one pair of expensive wear is that attraction. That means, if you wear a branded clothes each and every people look around you. Moreover, there are too many business and jobs have in market which require such kind of outfits. For example, Actores always looking for few fashionable clothes to become a highlight in every events.

Another reason is show off. To explain, many individual want to do show off on front of their friends. Due to that, wearing a costly clothes feels to other person jealous and that is a reason why shoppers ignore cheaper clothes. For instance, Mr. Patel recently brought the expensive shirt than his friend and on the next day he becomes the most highlighted person on social media .

On the other hand, there are many people who prefer to buy more local clothes. Because, some time they could not afford expensive outwears. As a result, low budget person always choose to buy low rate clothes rather that buying expensive ones.

In conclusion, a groups of community purchase a branded wear not only to become a lucrative person among other communities, but also to do show off front of other person.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but the development of ideas is limited. While you provide reasons such as 'attraction' and 'show off', these points are not fully explored or supported with sophisticated reasoning. The examples provided, such as 'Mr. Patel', are somewhat anecdotal and lack the depth required for a higher band. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, focus on expanding your points with more detailed explanations and ensuring that your examples are relevant and clearly linked to the main argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, phrases like 'The first and foremost reason' and 'Another reason is' are used, but the transitions between sentences within paragraphs are sometimes abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the logical progression of ideas is hindered by repetitive sentence structures. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your sentences flow naturally from one to the next, rather than relying on a rigid, formulaic structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'expensive clothes', 'local shops', and 'show off'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'lucrative person' (which is misused here) and 'outwears'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated lexical items. To improve, focus on learning collocations and synonyms that are more appropriate for formal writing, and ensure you understand the precise meaning of the words you use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but the essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'I am agree', 'many buyers believe' (should be 'many buyers believe' or 'many buyers who believe'), 'each and every people look', and 'Mr. Patel recently brought the expensive shirt' (should be 'bought'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. The frequency of these errors suggests a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb forms, and basic sentence construction before attempting more complex grammar.

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

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