Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-12

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries nowadays, consumers can go to a supermarket and buy food produced all over the world.

Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

In recent years, in most countries, customers go to convenience stores to buy overseas products. I believe that it has some economic advantages, but its drawbacks cannot be overlooked.

To commence with, it helps in the economic development of the country who is exporting the local food. Exporting local food, it helps in generating more job opportunities for the local people. Furthermore, exporting overseas products gives opportunities to people who live in ice-covered countries access to fresh food and fruits. Beyond health, this exchange for the foreign money, allowing households to experience global culinary traditions firsthand.

Nevertheless, along with its positive developments is also has negative developments like the increasing demand for overseas products damaging our environment. Exporting more and more products, we need more transportation, such as ships, airways, etc, which increases the carbon emissions. On a socio-economic level, local farmer may face treat to traditional agrarian livelihoods.

Moving on further, on a long journey to preserve the freshness of the products, local people have to use chemical preservatives, which are very injurious to our health if taken regularly, and it also has unnatural taste because of the chemical preservatives. Moreover, a diversified food shortage if extreme weather or disease decimates a domestic crop, imports ensure that food security and price stability are maintained.

In conclusion, although the long-distance transportation of food presents legitimate ecological concerns, the overall impact of globalized produce is decidedly favorable. The enrichment of human diets and the economic stimulation of developing agrarian markets make this trend a clear step forward for global society.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing both advantages and disadvantages of globalized food trade. The position is clear throughout, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the arguments. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. For instance, the point about 'food security' in the fourth paragraph is introduced abruptly and lacks a clear connection to the preceding discussion on chemical preservatives. While the arguments are relevant, some points, such as the impact on 'traditional agrarian livelihoods,' could be further extended with specific examples to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-focused and maintains a consistent stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used throughout, such as 'To commence with,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Nevertheless,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'Moving on further,' which feels redundant. Referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the discussion of chemical preservatives and food security in the fourth paragraph is disjointed. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the positive and negative aspects of the topic, contributing to a coherent overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated language such as 'decidedly favorable,' 'economic stimulation,' and 'agrarian livelihoods.' There are, however, some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation. For example, 'face treat' should be 'face a threat,' and 'unnatural taste' is slightly imprecise. Additionally, the phrase 'exchange for the foreign money' is awkward and lacks clarity. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning, the occasional inaccuracies prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Improving the precision of word choice would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'the country who is exporting' (should be 'which'), 'along with its positive developments is also has' (incorrect verb usage), and 'local farmer may face treat' (missing article and incorrect noun form). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. The student attempts complex structures, but control over these is inconsistent. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and relative pronouns.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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