Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-17
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)
Its issue of debate that people should purchase few expensive clothes rather than buy enormous at low price.However, I partially agree with statement .This essay will highlight why people purchase expensive and cheaper clothes with relevant examples .
To begin with,there are enormous benefits if purchasing expensive clothes.Firstly, quality, the clothes which people buy from malls at higher price have a good quality and last longer and do not lose their shape and colour quickly.It provides a better stitching and comfort for long term.Secondly,with this treand people can save money in the long term because cheap clothes may seem affordable,but buying them repeatedly can become expensive.For Example,people purchase a good quality winter jackets may last for several years and it saves money ,but cheaper need replace every year due to it quality and material.
On the other hand,with this way people can follow fashion trends and they have more variety as campare to expensive one.In other words, trnd will change with the time So every trend come with new fashion So youngters like to purchase things with latest fashion and style.Another reason is that children need cheaper clothes because they are growing faster and old clothes may not fit them. For example, Few years ago people like to wear their tradtional clothes but nowadays people sense of clothing change with fashion.
In conclusion,both options have its own advantages I believe the best approach is to spend more on essential,frequently used items while buying cheaper clothes for casual or trendy purposes.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student addresses all parts of the task by taking a clear, partial position on whether it is better to buy expensive or cheap clothes. The response provides reasons for both sides of the argument, discussing the durability and long-term savings of expensive items alongside the variety and trends associated with cheaper clothing. However, some of the ideas are slightly under-developed or briefly stated, such as the mention of growing children and traditional clothing, which lack deep extension. Nevertheless, the main tenets of the prompt are covered well, and a coherent stance is maintained throughout the essay. The response satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.0 in this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay displays a generally coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, moving from an introduction to body paragraphs discussing opposing views, and concluding with a summary. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'On the other hand' are employed to signpost the progression of ideas. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is occasionally faulty, as seen in punctuation omissions and awkward transitional phrasing between sentences. The flow is generally understandable, but mechanical errors in linking limit the score to a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate to the topic, using terms such as 'durability', 'treand', 'affordable', and 'casual or trendy purposes'. However, there are noticeable lexical and spelling inaccuracies throughout the text, including words like 'enormous' used where 'numerous' or 'many' is intended, 'treand' instead of 'trend', and 'youngters' instead of 'youngsters'. Word choice and collocation are occasionally awkward, such as 'cheaper need replace every year'. While the vocabulary is adequate to communicate the central message, these frequent slips restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over conditional and relative structures. However, grammatical accuracy is noticeably weak due to frequent punctuation errors, missing articles, and subject-verb agreement issues. Examples include 'Its issue of debate', 'people purchase a good quality winter jackets may last', and 'both options have its own advantages I believe'. Punctuation is particularly problematic, with spaces frequently omitted after commas and periods. These recurring errors cause some distraction for the reader, aligning the grammar score with Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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