Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02
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)
Many people believe that spend a money on expensive clothes is better than to buy a local clothes. Because expensive clothes life span is more than the budget friendly. In this essay, I will discuss my opinion briefly.
Firstly, I am agree with the statement in this fashion era everyone wants to adapt a modern society because they follow celebrity and they prefer to buy goods from the shopping malls. Moreover, expensive clothes have provide more guarantee that the local shops due to branded shops are using good types of fabrics, cotton and silk.
In additionally, branded clothes have good choice of colours and article is more attractive look while washing the clothes they are not going to faint or any colour change. To buy expensive clothes it is status symbol in the youngsters. For example, two months ago i bought clothes from local shopper after two times washing the colour is disappeared.
On the other hand, everyone can not afford the expensive clothes because of household, but they follow any celebrity and they are force their parents to buy same article which succeed person wears. Besides, it has a drawback to approach big shopping malls, the local retailers almost at the ending point. People should support the local community so they can grow their business.
In conclusion, if people can easily afford the highly priced clothes it is better but people have to support the local business also it improve the opportunity for work in the local areas.
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 essay addresses the prompt by discussing the merits of expensive versus cheaper clothing. However, the response falls slightly short of the 250-word minimum, which impacts the development of ideas. While you present a clear position, some arguments are under-developed, such as the mention of 'status symbols' and the economic impact on local retailers. The conclusion introduces a new point about local business support that was not fully integrated into the main body. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on one clear, well-supported idea and meets the minimum word count to allow for full exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'In additionally' is grammatically incorrect, and the transition between the benefits of expensive clothes and the drawbacks for those who cannot afford them is somewhat abrupt. The logical progression is present, but the connections between sentences could be smoother. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'nevertheless') would help improve the flow of your arguments.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'spend a money', 'local shopper' (referring to the clothes themselves), and 'the colour is disappeared'. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of your message. To reach a higher band, focus on learning collocations (e.g., 'durable fabric' instead of 'good types of fabrics') and avoid repeating basic terms like 'clothes' and 'buy'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('expensive clothes life span is'), article usage ('a local clothes'), and tense consistency ('the colour is disappeared'). While the meaning is usually clear, these persistent errors demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like pluralisation and verb forms before moving on to more complex grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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