Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-20

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)

It is often argued that when purchasing clothes, preferance should be placed on buying a fewer pieces of costly garments instead of many inexpensive ones. I agree with this view, because the expesnsive clothing items are of superior quality and offer a long wear, being cost effective and an environmentally friendly option in the long-term.

Firstly, the reason for a clothing item to be more costly is the manufacturing cost. Sourcing the raw products for fabric and utilizing good tailors adds to the cost. However, the final product is of superior quality. People will be able to get a longer wear from the fabric. Therefore, in the long term individuals would not need to repurchase clothes as oftenly.

For example, a plain white shirt is considered a staple in everyone's wardrobe. Just investing in one good quality item will mean an item that will last you longer without needing to waste the older one and repurchase a new shirt.

Moreover, buying the expensive clothes is like an investment to our own selves and environment. Clothes will offer a good wear and you can manage a capsule wardrobe, restyling and rewearing the same thing with different combinations. For instance, owning only one good black pant that can last them several washes is more economical than buying several different unique ones. This also means there is lesser waste in the environment as we are limiting our purchases to only what we actually need.

In conslusion, I agree that buying lesser but costlier garments is better in comparison to buying more of less expenisve garments. The benefits of sustainanility and ecofriendliness brought by purshaing the costly garments further strengthens my viewpoint.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response clearly addresses the prompt by taking a definite stance in agreement with the statement that buying fewer expensive clothes is preferable to buying many cheap ones. The ideas presented, such as durability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability, are relevant and extended well throughout the body paragraphs. For instance, the explanation of how higher manufacturing costs translate into superior quality and a longer garment life is logically developed. The position is maintained consistently from the introduction through to the conclusion, satisfying the main requirements of Task Achievement at a Band 7.0 level, although some supporting arguments could have been slightly broadened to reach an even higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with a clear introduction, moving through two body paragraphs exploring quality/cost and environmental benefits, and concluding succinctly. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'Firstly,' 'However,' and 'Moreover,' ensuring smooth transitions between ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct trains of thought. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional minor mechanical links are present, placing this firmly within the Band 7 criteria for logical progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, utilizing less common items such as 'cost-effective,' 'capsule wardrobe,' and 'sustainability.' However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, including 'preferance' instead of preference, 'expesnsive' instead of expensive, 'oftenly' instead of often, and 'purshaing' instead of purchasing. While these errors do not impede overall communication and the writer attempts sophisticated lexical choices, the frequency of these slips prevents the score from reaching a Band 7, making Band 6.0 a more accurate descriptor for lexical control and accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with the writer successfully employing relative clauses and conditional structures. Good control of grammar is generally maintained, but there are a few noticeable grammatical errors, such as 'buying the expensive clothes is like an investment to our own selves' (unnatural preposition) and 'owning only one good black pant that can last them several washes' (subject-verb agreement/pronoun consistency issues). Punctuation and sentence structures are adequate for communication, and although minor errors persist, they rarely impede the reader, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.

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