Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07

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)

Undoubtedly, everyone wants to look smart. For this people want to stay update with the latest fashion and buy clothes which are sometimes out of their budget.

To begin with, expensive attire is durable. The reason is that they are manufactured with high-quality raw materials, also they are undergone through a rigorous quality check. In India, there is a concept of minimum retail price; no one can sell above that price. This privilege is only available is manufacturer's production passed from quality assurance. Consequently, expensive clothes will not tear after wearing them one or two times.

In addition, the colour of costly clothes would not fade quickly after multiple washes; they also remain in the same shape and colour. Moreover, a person need not be embarrassed by a malfunctionction only because they bought less expensive products.

In conclusion, it is better to buy expensive clothes because they last forever, their shape and clour also not change after every wash.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you support buying fewer, more expensive clothes, and you give relevant reasons about durability, colour retention and shape. However, the response addresses the task only partially because the reasons are asserted rather than sufficiently explained or supported with a relevant example. The claim about India’s minimum retail price and quality assurance is unclear and does not convincingly show that expensive clothes are necessarily better. The conclusion repeats the main points but does not add support. The response is also 91 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to develop your argument. Explain why buying fewer quality items is preferable and include a specific example or acknowledge a counterargument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “In addition” and “In conclusion” help the reader follow the main points. However, progression is limited because the body paragraphs mainly list claims rather than develop them through explanation or examples. Some connections are unclear, particularly the move from expensive clothing to India’s minimum retail price and quality checks. The reference “they” in “they are manufactured” is also not fully clear after “expensive attire.” Build each paragraph around one reason, then explain its effect and illustrate it; use linking expressions to show relationships between ideas rather than simply mark the next point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “durable,” “high-quality raw materials,” “rigorous quality check” and “multiple washes,” which helps communicate your argument. There is also an attempt to use less common language, such as “attire” and “embarrassed.” However, several word-choice, collocation and spelling problems reduce precision: “stay update” is not idiomatic, “malfunctionction” is misspelled and unclear, and “clour” is misspelled. “They last forever” is an overstatement and does not fit the evidence. Aim for accurate, natural phrases such as “keep up with fashion trends,” “pass quality-control checks” and “retain their shape.” Proofread spelling and choose wording that expresses your claims precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause (“The reason is that…”) and a result link (“Consequently…”). The main meaning is generally understandable, but errors in sentence structure and grammatical forms remain. For example, “For this people want” needs a clearer construction, while “they are undergone through” uses an incorrect passive form. In “a person need not be embarrassed,” the subject and verb do not agree, and the final sentence is missing a verb in “their shape and clour also not change.” There are also problems with articles and prepositions in phrases such as “passed from quality assurance.” Practise complete clauses and check verb forms and agreement when editing.

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.