Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-27
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)
In my opinion, it is better to buy just a few expensive clothes rather than lots of cheaper clothes. As you know that the qualit of cheaper clothes is not good. Most of the cheaper clotes are torn off easily. Their fabric is also not smooth and it seems a little hard. The colors of cheap clothes are also washed away after just one wash. On the other hand,when we buy expensive clothes then we dont have to comprosie on the quality. Becuase the fabric and quality of the expensive clothes is better than cheaper ones. The expensive clothes stays as it is after every wash. The color of expensive clothes also remains intact and does not wash away after several washes. Another important thing is that when we buy few clothes then they are easily managebale in cupboards. Meanwhile, when clothes are cheap then we buy alot of clothes and then they are just piled up in the cupboards and it is diffcult to manage them. One of the example that comes to my mind is that once my father bought a tracksuit for me from addidas which was quite expensive. I wore that tracksuit many times and then my little brtoher also wore the same tracksuit after two years, as the colors and fabric of the tracksuit remained intact. At that time, my father also bought 2 more tracksuits for my brother from some local market. Those tracksuits were a little cheap. My brother wore it once and the color of those tracksuits faded after just one wash.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student presents a clear position throughout the response agreeing with the prompt statement that buying a few expensive clothes is better. The ideas are relevant and supported by personal experience, such as the example comparing the expensive Adidas tracksuit with cheaper local market alternatives. However, the development tends to be repetitive, focusing heavily on fabric durability and color fading across multiple sentences without exploring broader economic, environmental, or lifestyle implications. While all parts of the task are addressed, the arguments remain somewhat limited and under-developed, aligning best with a Band 6 score according to the official descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance. However, paragraphing is poorly managed, as the entire body of text—introduction, arguments, and example—is lumped into a single block without paragraph breaks. Cohesive devices are also somewhat basic and repetitive, relying on transitions like 'On the other hand', 'Another important thing', and 'Meanwhile'. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of paragraphing significantly impacts the visual and structural organization of the essay, preventing it from reaching a Band 6.0 fully, though the logical progression of ideas still supports a solid Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student attempts an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, utilizing terms such as 'intact', 'manageable', and 'tracksuit'. However, there are numerous spelling errors ('qualit', 'clotes', 'comprosie', 'Becuase', 'stays', 'managebale', 'diffcult', 'brtoher') and occasional word-choice issues ('torn off easily' instead of 'tear easily'). While less common vocabulary is attempted, the high frequency of basic spelling and slip errors creates noticeable distraction for the reader, placing this performance firmly in the Band 5 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional and comparative structures such as 'when we buy expensive clothes then we dont have to comprosie on the quality.' However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including missing apostrophes ('dont'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the expensive clothes stays', 'Those tracksuits were a little cheap. My brother wore it'), and awkward phrasing ('As you know that the qualit...'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur with enough frequency to restrict the score to a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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