Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-25

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 6.0)

Nowadays, people are more concerned on their looks and appearance where clothes play a vital role. They have become very particular and specific of styling outfits. Due to this people's focus have changed from cheap non-branded clothes to branded clothes which are expensive. The has also become a trend through influencers on social media. People see and get influenced to purchase from brands. Malls and showrooms in cities have also increased the popularity. This has become a status for some people to buy expensive clothes so that they can show a upgrade level of status in society.

But for some people it is a standard of living. I agree to the fact that it is better to buy few expensive items than lots of cheaper clothes as expensive clothes have a longer life, better quality. Although, they are expensive but at the same time they are visibly good, people can wear them for long. While purchasing expensive clothes, people feels that they are spending so much on a single item but it turns out the worth buying due to its quality.

On the other hand, while purchasing cheaper clothes people can buy so many items by spending same amount on which a single item of expensive cloth is available but due to their quality the cheaper clothes don't look good and also will not last for long.

This can be explained by sharing one of my experience. Few months back, I wanted to purchase few formal shirts. I went to local market where many style of shirts were available but I didn't buy because none of them were in good quality. Many of them had loose threads, few were very transparent especially those in white or light colour. Then I went to mall and saw shirts in Westside and Zara which again have price and quality difference. No doubt, the quality of westside shirts are very good but the quality Zara is giving is exceptional.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt directly by taking a clear position that it is better to buy a few expensive clothes rather than many cheaper ones. The writer introduces relevant ideas regarding durability, quality, and societal trends. However, the development of ideas in the body paragraphs tends to be somewhat repetitive, focusing heavily on quality and longevity without introducing wider socioeconomic or environmental considerations. Although the conclusion cuts off somewhat abruptly with a personal anecdote rather than a broader concluding remark, the main position remains clear throughout the essay. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor, as the task is addressed with relevant ideas, though some areas are slightly under-developed or repetitive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay is generally coherent with a clear overarching argument. The introduction sets up the topic, and the writer uses transition phrases such as 'On the other hand' and 'This can be explained' to guide the reader. However, paragraphing is somewhat problematic; the essay features several very short paragraphs that could be better grouped to improve the logical flow. Furthermore, cohesive devices are occasionally mechanical, and referencing is sometimes imprecise, such as the dangling transition in 'The has also become a trend'. Progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by repetitive sentence structures. Overall, the organizational structure is adequate for a Band 6 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student displays an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common collocations such as 'standard of living' and 'status in society'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'concerned on their looks', 'specific of styling outfits', and 'upgrade level of status'. Additionally, there are minor lexical slips like 'expensive cloth' instead of 'expensive clothes'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they demonstrate limitations in lexical flexibility and precision, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors in prepositions and verb forms, such as 'people's focus have changed' (subject-verb agreement), 'people feels' (plural/singular mismatch), and 'passing the same amount on which a single item... is available'. Punctuation and article usage also show occasional lapses. Because the errors occur frequently alongside correct simple sentences and do not severely impede communication, the response fits the Band 6 descriptors for grammatical range and accuracy.

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