Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-29

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)

Having a variety of clothing in wardrobe is dream of many people and they always try to buy more and more. Buyiny a few good quality clothes is better than a lot of low quality clothes.This essay will explain my agreement regarding this statement.

First and foremost, a good dressing is the reflection of someone's personality. The choice of good outfit is always important especially for working men and women. If they did not dress-up according to their environment, it will have negative imapct on their personalities. Some people do not want to spend money on buying expensive clothes rather than that they buy some low quality clothes. They may consider it the wastage of money.

Additionally. there are many disadvantages of buying cheaper clothes. One of the most important reasons is such clothes wear out very fastly. Their colours fade just after few use. When people wear such clothes, their personality is badly effected by their choice. Moreover, they have to go for the shopping again and again. In this way they wasted a lot of their time and money. But if they buy some good quality clothes which are comfortable and durable .They use them for a longer time. They can use them as occasional wear. Quality of clothe make it use worhted.

To sum u,. I would like to say that dressing is the main thing which may give first positive or negative impression about someone's personality. So, one should never compromise on it. Everyone must try to buy durable and sophisticated clothes rather than cheaper clothes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you agree that buying a few better-quality clothes is preferable, and you give relevant reasons, including durability, repeated shopping, and the impression clothing can create. The discussion of clothes wearing out and needing replacement is the most directly developed support for your view. However, the point about professional appearance is less fully explained, and claims such as clothing being “the main thing” that shapes an impression are broad rather than supported with a specific example. To strengthen the response, explain how the higher initial cost can be offset over time and add a concrete example from experience or observation. This would develop the relevant ideas more fully and make the argument more convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting reasons, and a concluding statement that restates your position. Sequencing phrases such as “First and foremost,” “Additionally,” and “Moreover” help readers follow the argument. However, some connections feel mechanical, and the second body paragraph moves quickly from fading colours to personality, repeat shopping, and occasional wear without clearly explaining each link. The sentence beginning “But if they buy…” is also separated awkwardly from the preceding point. Use fewer formulaic transitions and make the relationship between each claim and its consequence explicit. Clearer paragraph development and more precise referencing would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of clothing and quality vocabulary, including “durable,” “comfortable,” “low quality,” and “sophisticated,” which helps communicate your main ideas. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “reflection of someone’s personality.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “a good dressing,” “wear out very fastly,” “quality of clothe,” and “use worhted.” Spelling slips such as “Buyiny,” “imapct,” and “effected” also reduce accuracy. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your position, but they limit precision. Focus on natural collocations and check spelling and word forms carefully when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “If they did not dress-up according to their environment…” and a contrast between cheaper and better-quality clothing. The main argument remains understandable, but some sentence structures and punctuation are inaccurate. For example, “But if they buy some good quality clothes… .They use them” incorrectly separates a dependent clause from its main clause, while “Some people do not want to spend money… rather than that they buy…” joins ideas awkwardly. There are also errors with articles, plurals, and agreement, as in “in wardrobe” and “Their colours fade just after few use.” Practise complete sentence structures and review article and agreement patterns.

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.