Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

A large number of individuals opine that instead of purchasing a huge amount of budget friendly clothes, Everyone should get costly garments as a one-time purchase. I completely agree with this notion owing to the better quality of high cost attires along with their contribution in reducing the waste generation.

One of the major reasons behind my consideration is the high quality of fiber used in costly clothing. Expensive clothes are not only designed luxurious but are also high in quality. To cite an example, in India, if someone buys Rs. 150 shirt ,it only lasts for 2-3 months because of the poor quality of thread; whereas the same shirt of Rs. 500 lasts nearly 2-3 years. Thus, the more the spendings, the better the quality of the product, which directly decides its durability. Another significant ground why people ought to choose expensive clothes over affordable ones is the waste management. Cheap clothes get easily worn out after wearing a few times, for instance, their color gets fainted or their threads start to shred. Therefore, In order to discard them, people generally, throw them in garbage bins causing waste generation. To illustrate, in the Costco Canada, there is a return policy which has no time restriction; due to which individuals purchase garments and return those after using them for a few months or by maximum a year. In return, they get full refund. Nonetheless, the returned items are usually discarded as waste, generating a huge heap of garbage annually.

Taking everything into account, I finally conclude that to solve the issue of waste generation and to have a long-lasting and advance quality product, expensive clothing is a better choice for individuals over their budget friendly alternatives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding durability and waste reduction are relevant and well-supported with examples, such as the comparison of shirt longevity and the mention of return policies. However, the example regarding Costco is slightly tangential, as it focuses on return policies rather than the inherent quality of expensive versus cheap clothing. The ideas are generally well-developed, though the explanation could be further refined to ensure every point directly supports the central thesis of 'quality over quantity'. Overall, the response is focused and meets the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'One of the major reasons', 'Another significant ground', and 'Taking everything into account' are used to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with punctuation and capitalization, such as the unnecessary capitalization of 'Everyone' and 'In' mid-sentence. Despite these minor mechanical flaws, the overall structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'waste generation', 'durability', and 'budget-friendly'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, though some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'designed luxurious' (should be 'luxuriously designed') and 'color gets fainted' (should be 'fades'). Additionally, there are minor errors in collocation, such as 'high cost attires'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the more the spendings' (should be 'the more one spends'), 'contribution in reducing' (should be 'contribution to reducing'), and 'in the Costco Canada' (should be 'at Costco in Canada'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some misplaced commas and unnecessary capitalization. These errors occur frequently but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and articles.

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