Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-03
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)
In today's fast-paced world, many individuals hold diverse opinion on a wide range of topics. Some people believe that it is better to buy expensive clothes instead of repeatedly purchasing cheaper garments. I somewhat wholeheartedly agree with this perspective and reasons of behind my argument will be discuss further.
To begin with, there are several benefits of buying expensive clothes. Firstly, it can stay longer with great quality. Hence, people prefer to go with speciality. Secondly, many individuals represent their standard by buying garments from branded stores. For instance, specially in India high class people buy expensive brands such as Hermes, Michael Kors etc. in order to show off and to look personaleted. Additionally, it is also belive that high price clothes stays longer time and fulfill the price value. Hence, it is better to prioritise the quality over price.
On the other hand, the value of cheaper clothes should not be ignored. Nodoubt, many people are hardly fulfilling their basic needs in life and it is hard for them to buy branded clothes. Thus, they prefer to buy a budget friendly clothes. Moreover, sometimes thrift stores in local street can also provide garments with good price and quality which can stay long time. Ordinary clothes have made with great material which do not harm any animal and it is also environment friendly. For example, cheaper clothes are smell free as it made with simple fibre whereas some brands hurt sheeps, tiger in order to get wool from their skin. Hence, it leads negative impact on wild life.
In conclusion, the proliferation of modern focus in buying branded clothes rather rather than cheap, poses a serious threat to the quality of life. No doubt, expensive clothes provide quality but cheaper garments fulfill needs for poor people, which should not be ignored. Therefore, individuals should value the both expensive and local garments.
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 response addresses the prompt by discussing both sides of the argument, though the position is somewhat contradictory. You state you 'somewhat wholeheartedly agree' with buying expensive clothes, but then spend a significant portion of the essay arguing for the benefits of cheaper alternatives. This makes your overall stance unclear. While you provide some relevant ideas, such as durability and social status, the development is inconsistent. For instance, the claim that cheaper clothes are 'smell free' and that brands 'hurt tigers' is factually questionable and lacks logical support. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout and provide more credible, well-reasoned examples to support your main arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'To begin with,' 'Firstly,' and 'On the other hand' to signal transitions. However, the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak. For example, the transition between discussing brand status and the durability of expensive clothes is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the use of 'it' in 'it leads negative impact.' To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more fluid and logical.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on some repetitive or imprecise phrasing, such as 'stay longer' and 'good price.' There are also issues with word formation and collocation, such as 'personaleted' (personalized) and 'belive' (believed). While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'proliferation' and 'budget friendly,' these are sometimes used in contexts that feel slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on learning collocations (e.g., 'durable materials' instead of 'stay longer') and ensure you are using words in their correct grammatical forms.
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 impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('high price clothes stays'), article usage ('the both expensive'), and awkward phrasing ('reasons of behind my argument will be discuss'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are errors in sentence construction that make some points difficult to follow. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and proofreading for common errors like missing articles or incorrect verb tenses. Increasing your use of error-free complex sentences will also help boost your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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