Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-15

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 5.5)

It is true that in many countries, consumers go to supermarkets and buy food that is produced all over the world. In my opinion, it is a positive development because they can buy healthy food, which was not available previously, and countries can benefit economically.

Healthy food is now available in every supermarket. This is because local sellers now contact other retailers and may import healthy food into the market. For example, Mexican and Japanese foods such as mangoes, carrots, and sushi are now easily available nearby, which may be beneficial for those who lack vitamins. While critics argue that transporting food hurts the environment, the health benefits for consumers are far more important. As a result, trading international food is a highly beneficial trend for society.

Furthermore, countries can benefit from bringing global food. Sellers import food at a cheap price and again sell it at a higher price. For instance, they bring food like foreign beef and lamb meat and sell those at a profit. They receive money and consistently contribute to their country's revenue. Consequently, importing food represents a favorable outcome for a nation's financial stability.

In conclusion, although food is available all over the world and people can buy from various markets, I firmly believe in purchasing food from a supermarket more because people can get nutritious food. Thus, they can get good food, which keeps their bodies healthy, and also help in maintaining national revenue by giving a specific amount of money to the government.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the trend is positive. The ideas regarding health benefits and economic growth are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat simplistic. For instance, the argument about 'national revenue' is quite vague and lacks depth regarding how importing food specifically impacts a country's financial stability. The examples provided, such as 'mangoes and sushi', are relevant but could be expanded to better illustrate the global nature of the trade. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more nuanced explanations of the economic and environmental trade-offs involved in global food distribution.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'Consequently' are used to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the transition between the health argument and the economic argument could be smoother. The conclusion summarizes the main points, but it introduces a slightly repetitive tone by restating the health benefits in a way that does not add new insight. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'nutritious', 'financial stability', and 'import'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'food' and 'buy'. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'bringing global food' instead of 'importing global food' or 'trading in global food'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and topic-specific collocations related to international trade and nutrition to show a greater level of lexical flexibility and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the grammar is generally accurate and communication is not impeded, there are some minor errors and awkward phrasings. For example, 'Sellers import food at a cheap price and again sell it at a higher price' is grammatically functional but lacks stylistic variety. There are also occasional issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice constructions, while maintaining the current level of accuracy.

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