Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28
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)
It is good that people should buy a small number of expensive clothes instead of purchasing a large quantity of cheaper one. My advocacy is with the buying few expensive clothes, which will elaborated in essay citing relevant examples.
Out of all the arguments of purchasing expensive, strongest one to prove my view is buying expensive clothes are better because their high-quality garments and generally made from better materials and more likely to last for several years. This is to say, people may not need to replace them frequently. For example, one the famous clothing brand "ZARA" produced standard materials cloths which is last for many years. Furthermore, buying fewer clothes can encourage people to make more thoughtful purchasing decisions rather than constantly following fashion trends. This means, this can also reduce unnecessary waste and the environmental problem associated with the clothing industry.
In addition, one of the important rationale is high quality clothes are safe for skin. In other words, standard materials have features that they are comfortable and skin friendly and people are protected from the skin diseases like itching, redness and rash marks. Moreover, premium materials are designed to fit better and look more classy, at professional level. Beside this, logos of brand illustrate luxury and high society' s hierarchy. For instance, as per survey majority of business person wear branded cloths because they want to look classy and well- dress.
To conclude, my advocacy is supported by the fact that people prefer to buy expensive clothes because of their standard quality of fabric which is long lasting and purchasing fewer clothes are environmental friendly as well as high-quality materials are protect our skin from the variety of skin infections and looks classy and smart are logically accepted.
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 response addresses the prompt by clearly taking a side in favor of buying a few expensive clothes rather than many cheaper ones. The position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended with relevant supporting points, such as durability, environmental benefits, and health protection. However, some of the arguments and examples are slightly underdeveloped or contain logical inaccuracies, such as citing 'ZARA' as an example of an expensive clothing brand. According to the Band 6 descriptors, the task is addressed with relevant ideas, though some aspects are slightly under-developed or unclear. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and body paragraphs are separated logically. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'In addition', and 'To conclude'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward transitional phrases like 'My advocacy is with the buying few expensive clothes, which will elaborated in essay citing relevant examples.' Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but referencing within sentences is occasionally unclear. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student attempts less common vocabulary, such as 'advocacy', 'rationale', 'skin friendly', and 'hierarchy'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form throughout the response, such as 'cheaper one' instead of 'cheaper ones', 'purchasing expensive' instead of 'purchasing expensive clothes', and 'standard materials cloths which is last' containing grammatical and lexical errors. Spelling errors like 'well- dress' also occur. The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but errors in word choice and form place this firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement, articles, and relative clauses, such as 'buying expensive clothes are better because their high-quality garments and generally made from better materials', 'one the famous clothing brand', and 'materials are protect our skin'. These errors can cause occasional difficulty for the reader, although they do not completely impede overall communication. This corresponds to the Band 5.0 descriptors, as attempts at complex sentences are often faulty and frequent errors persist.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.