Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-09

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 7.0)

Some people believe that it is better to buy just few expensive clothes rather than a lot of cheaper clothes. I agree with that thought as expensive is generally tied to better quality and when you wear superior quality apparel, you get a different mindset and you feel better about yourself.

Firstly, when people buy good quality clothes, they tend to feel more confident. When individuals surround themselves with quality stuff, it tends to reflect in their work as well, which means that they are able to produce superior work. This can in turn help them to earn better. Wearing better quality also means that the fabric quality is better which is better for the skin and can avoid issues like skin allergies which can be noticed in people wearing lower quality and cheaper materials. Ultimately, buying cheaper clothes can cost more if you consider all the above factors.

Secondly, buying fewer clothes reduces the number of choices people have. There are millions of decisions a person has to make in a day and if a person is able to reduce the effort required to make decisions about mundane tasks, then they can focus on things that really matter. That is why, there are a lot of billionaires who consistently wear same clothes everyday to reduce the number of choices.

In conclusion, I would like to agree that buying few expensive and better quality clothes is better than buying lots of cheaper and lower quality clothes, as it makes a person feel more confident, is actually better for an individual's health and reduces the number of choices that a person has to make on a daily basis.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have provided relevant arguments, such as the psychological benefits of confidence and the practical advantage of decision fatigue reduction. The ideas are extended and supported with logical reasoning, such as the link between clothing quality and skin health, and the reference to billionaires. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific examples or nuance, perhaps acknowledging the counter-argument that expensive clothes are not always synonymous with quality, which would demonstrate a more sophisticated level of critical thinking and task development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'In turn', and 'That is why' to link your points. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of cohesive markers. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure effectively guides the reader through your argument without confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'apparel', 'mundane tasks', and 'consistently'. The meaning is clear throughout, and there are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items to show greater flexibility. For example, instead of repeating 'better' or 'quality' multiple times, you could use synonyms like 'superior', 'durable', or 'premium'. The current vocabulary is sufficient but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically accurate, which ensures the reader can follow your points easily. There are some minor errors, such as 'buy just few expensive clothes' (missing an article 'a') and 'wear same clothes' (missing 'the'). While these errors are present, they do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, you should aim for more complex sentence forms and ensure greater precision in article usage and subject-verb agreement, as these small slips currently prevent the writing from being consistently error-free.

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

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