Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21

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)

Nowadays, supermarkets in many countries sell food that is produced in different countries. I think that it is a positive development as it has several advantages.

The most convincing reason for it's positive development is , it provides a wide variety of food to the people without having to travel abroad. Supermarkets imports food from different countries that allows the consumers to taste different flavors and unique type of dishes. For example, people in India can easily purchase Italian pasta, American snacks, Mexican sauces and Japanese soap. Wide variety of food can help the people choose products according to their personal preferences and dietary requirement.

Another significant advantage is that it encourages cultural exchange. Food is a important part of a countries culture and trying dishes of different nation increases the familiar bond with that particular country. In addition to that, it also brings different currency in our country due to the export of our food to foreign countries , which helps to build our countries economy. As a result, international trade can contributes to economic development of the country and also provides income for as developing country. For example countries like China totally depends on its international trade for its economic development.

One of the primary reason to choose supermarket is that all the food is available at a single spot which saves the time and money of the people. It can also help our country to introduce new dishes by comparing several dishes of other countries.

In conclusion, supermarket has many weighted advantages like international trade, wide choice to the consumer and it also helps the people to explore different cultures in the world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the availability of global food is a positive development. The main ideas—variety, cultural exchange, and economic benefits—are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat uneven. For instance, the point about 'economic development' is a bit tangential to the core question of consumer choice, and the third paragraph introduces a new point about 'saving time and money' that feels slightly disconnected from the previous arguments. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single, well-supported argument that directly relates to the 'positive development' aspect of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The most convincing reason,' 'Another significant advantage,' and 'In addition to that.' However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as the sentence starting with 'One of the primary reason to choose supermarket.' The use of referencing is generally clear, but the logical link between paragraphs could be strengthened to create a more cohesive argument throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'dietary requirement' and 'economic development.' However, there are several word-choice errors and inaccuracies, such as 'Japanese soap' (likely meant 'soup' or 'sushi') and 'weighted advantages.' Additionally, there are minor errors in collocation, such as 'familiar bond' instead of 'cultural connection.' To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology and ensuring that word choices are contextually appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors. These include subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'international trade can contributes,' 'supermarket has many'), article usage errors (e.g., 'a important part,' 'a countries culture'), and punctuation mistakes (e.g., unnecessary spaces before commas). While these errors do not impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, pay closer attention to basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and pluralization.

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

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