Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-23

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)

Some people prefer to own few expensive fabrics while others find purchasing inexpensive dresses appealing. I strongly agree that possessing not too many luxury clothes command respect, boosts confidence and is economically reasonable.

Having a small number of premium clothes saves cost as they tend to last longer. The quality of these fabrics makes them durable and one can wear them for a longer period of time without fading or losing texture. For instance, wears bought in boutique usually last longer than the ones gotten as thrift.

Moreover, wearing expensive dresses boost self esteem and morale. In gatherings, you feel highly regarded and influential as everyone will think you are wealthy. This can boost confidence and make one bold and composed. Most people that wear expensive clothings enjoy more social relationships and interactions.

Similarly, it is more sensible to have minute high end garments as it is environmentally friendly. Water is used in making fabrics and the less each individual consumes, the better conservation of water for other purposes. Consequently, it is environmentally more friendly. Having too many cheaper clothes can lead to overuse. The belief that one has more can make one use them recklessly, causing a mess in the house, but keeping few quality clothes will make them compact and easy to maintain.

Ultimately, the choice between few premium clothes and lots of cheaper options will be driven largely by looking at the cost benefit ratio, the effects on the ecosystem and psychological perception of grandeur that each of them brings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses the prompt effectively, taking a clear and consistent position in agreement with the statement. The writer covers multiple reasons supporting this view, including durability and cost-efficiency, psychological benefits such as confidence and social status, and environmental advantages. Ideas are generally well-developed, although some points, such as the social relationship aspect in paragraph three, rely on generalized assertions rather than deep elaboration. Nevertheless, the main task requirements are thoroughly met with relevant and logically structured arguments throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organization with an introduction, well-defined body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to connect ideas, such as 'Having said that', 'Moreover', 'Similarly', and 'Ultimately'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct central theme, such as cost, psychological impact, or environmental considerations. However, referencing is occasionally imprecise, and the progression between sentences could be smoother in places, placing this response comfortably at band 6.5 or 7.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with an attempt to incorporate less common lexical items such as 'economically reasonable', 'environmentally friendly', and 'cost benefit ratio'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations throughout the text. For instance, the phrase 'few expensive fabrics' is unnatural for referring to garments, 'wears bought in boutique' lacks an article and uses 'wears' incorrectly as a noun, and 'clothings' is a non-standard plural form. Despite these errors, communication is not impeded, demonstrating sufficient range for a band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional or relative clauses. There is good control over basic grammar, but grammatical errors and awkward phrasing appear consistently. Examples include 'possessing not too many luxury clothes command respect' (subject-verb agreement error), 'the ones gotten as thrift' (awkward phrasing), and missing articles before singular countable nouns like 'boutique'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors do occur, they rarely impede overall comprehension, reflecting the characteristics of band 6 grammar.

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

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