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)

The global availability of food in supermarkets is a phenomenon that has transformed the way people shop and eat. Consumers can buy everything from the supermarket. Products from all over the world are available in the supermarket. It has many positive and negative aspects. Firstly, let's talk about positive points. It saves the time of people because people don't need to search for their desire things from every shop, all things are accessible in the super mart. In the supermarkets of developed countries like America, Canada, France, the out of season fruits and vegetables are available. Moreover, many products that are not found or grow in their native country , are imported from the other country that enhances the economy of that country which exports their goods. In the off-seasonal time supermarket offers sales it is a great benefit. Additionally, supermarket are open the whole day or 24 hours, what a benefit it is. Let's talk about negative drawbacks. The negative points of supermarket are more than positive aspects. Firstly, it has an adverse effect on the environment. Imported things are brought through the ships, trucks and other heavy vehicles which could increase the air pollution. In supermarket, there are many good quality things but they are very expensive. Some people buy the expensive and good quality food from supermarket which affects the local agriculture and farmers. Supermarket gives high quality and expensive seeds, fertilizers and sprays but if they can't work, people lose their money. There is a large crowd in the supermarket which can cause robbery and people lose some important things In short, there are both positive and negative aspects. But it is beneficial for country and their people and harms the environment

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both the positive and negative aspects of global food availability. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'robbery' in supermarkets is not clearly linked to the topic of global food trade, and the argument regarding seeds and fertilizers is tangential. While a position is stated, it lacks a clear, consistent argument throughout the essay. The conclusion is contradictory, stating it is 'beneficial' while also noting it 'harms the environment' without reconciling these views. To improve, you should focus on developing fewer points with more depth and ensuring your position is clearly maintained.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between ideas is often mechanical, using simple signposting like 'Firstly' and 'Moreover'. Some sentences are disjointed, such as the sudden mention of supermarket opening hours or the security issues, which do not flow naturally from the main topic of global food distribution. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the use of cohesive devices is basic. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, unified theme that supports your overall argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'supermarket' and 'positive/negative aspects'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'desire things' instead of 'desired items' and 'off-seasonal time' instead of 'out-of-season'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range is limited, and there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or academic vocabulary. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and improve the academic tone of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include article usage ('the supermarket' vs 'supermarkets'), subject-verb agreement ('supermarket are open'), and awkward phrasing ('what a benefit it is'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing before commas and periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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