Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-28

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 6.5)

In many countries, consumers can now purchase food produced all over the world in local supermarkets. Although it may intensify competition and pose a threat to local producers, I believe it is a positive development because it increases food variety, giving people access to products that cannot be produced locally and allowing them to choose foods that suits different preferences and diets.

First of all, food imports allow people to consume products that would otherwise be unavailable in their country. This is particularly true of vegetables and exotic fruits that can only be grown in certain climatic conditions. As a result, consumers in northern countries can buy a wide range of fresh produce even even during cold seasons. For example, many fruits sold in Russian supermarkets are imported from warmer countries, giving consumers access to products that cannot be grown locally.

Second of all, imported food gives consumers a wider range of products to choose from. This is particularly beneficial for people with specific dietary requirements, allergies or personal preferences, as they are more likely to find products that meet their needs. For example, Russian supermarkets often offer lactose-free, gluten-free, vegan and other specialised products, many of which are imported from foreign producers. As a result, international trade can make a wider variety of food accessible to different groups of consumers.

In conclusion, despite some drawbacks, international trade is a positive development. It helps people to buy food which cannot be produced in their country and allows different groups of consumers to meet their needs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response clearly addresses the prompt by taking a position in favor of global food trade. The ideas are relevant and logically developed, particularly the points regarding climatic limitations and dietary needs. However, the essay is somewhat brief and lacks a counter-argument section that explores the 'threat to local producers' mentioned in the introduction. While the position is clear, the development of the negative side is omitted, which prevents the essay from reaching the highest band. To improve, ensure that the opposing view is briefly acknowledged and refuted to provide a more balanced and comprehensive discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the progression of ideas is logical. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Second of all', and 'As a result' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The referencing is clear throughout. The structure is consistent and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a Band 7. To reach a higher band, the student could incorporate a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. The student uses topic-specific terms such as 'climatic conditions', 'dietary requirements', and 'specialised products' appropriately. There is some repetition of basic words like 'products' and 'consumers'. While the range is adequate, it lacks the 'less common' lexical items that would demonstrate a more sophisticated control of language. The spelling is accurate throughout, and the word choices are generally precise, though there is room for more varied synonyms to enhance the overall tone of the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally accurate. There are minor slips, such as the repetition of 'even' in the second paragraph ('even even during cold seasons') and a subject-verb agreement error ('foods that suits' should be 'foods that suit'). Despite these occasional slips, the meaning is never obscured, and the punctuation is handled well. The control of complex structures is sufficient for a Band 7, as the errors are infrequent and do not impede communication.

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