Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-01

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)

Food from all over the word is now available in supermarkets, customers can buy food from supermarkets. globally. I strongly believe that it is a positive development as it provides customers with greater choices and promotes cultural exchange.

One significant advantage of buying food products from supermarkets is not only convenient but also people can enjoy much wider variety of food products than in the past. Supermarkets can stock items that are not locally produced, allowing buyers to experience different cuisines without travelling abroad. For instance, people in Australia can easily purchase Asian spices and tropical fruits from other countries. This increased availability enables individuals to maintain their traditional routines.

Another benefit is that international food trade can support economical development. Farmers and food producers can access international markets, potentially increasing their income and creating employment opportunities which can eventually lead to boost productivity and increase economy. For example farmers can have easy access to essential products to increase productivity and contributes to the economy.

To conclude, i strongly agree with the notion that buying food products from supermarkets contributes positively.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 181 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you clearly state your position that the development is positive, the arguments are underdeveloped. For instance, the second body paragraph mentions economic development but lacks specific, well-explained examples to support the claim. Because the response is substantially under-length, the ideas cannot be fully extended as required for higher bands. To improve, you must expand on your points with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to ensure the essay is fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which is a positive feature. You use some cohesive devices such as 'For instance' and 'Another benefit', which help the reader follow the flow of ideas. However, the progression of ideas is limited by the brevity of the text. Some sentences are slightly disjointed, such as the opening sentence which lacks a proper conjunction or punctuation between 'supermarkets' and 'globally'. To improve, ensure that your sentences are linked more smoothly and that each paragraph contains a more substantial, logical progression of thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'cultural exchange', 'international markets', and 'employment opportunities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'economical development' (should be 'economic development') and 'lead to boost productivity' (should be 'lead to a boost in productivity'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. Focusing on more sophisticated collocations and ensuring accurate word forms will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'customers can buy food from supermarkets. globally' contains a punctuation error, and 'contributes to the economy' lacks a clear subject-verb agreement in the context of the preceding clause. There are also minor errors in article usage and sentence construction. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing your control over complex structures and proofreading for basic errors will be beneficial.

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.