Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-07

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)

Unquestionably, every coin has two sides and so are the people. Society’s people are divided into two groups and therefore, consumer can go to a supermarket has become a topic of debate among people. This essay will compare and contrast both of the opinions along with my opinion which is in the favour of positive development view will be discussed in a sensible conclusion.

Initiating with the points supporting first school of thought, firstly Access to international food expands consumer choice and improves nutrition. Shoppers can enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables all year, rather than waiting for local growing seasons. The people who support this say that, For example, supermarkets sell tropical fruits like bananas and mangoes in places where they do not naturally grow.

On its contrasting side, people who held another view point say that . They believe that ,Despite these advantages, importing food causes real harm to the environment and local communities. Transporting food across continents burns massive amounts of fuel and creates high carbon emissions that worsen climate change . In addition, In addition, cheap foreign goods can hurt domestic farmers. When supermarkets sell low-cost imported crops, local small farms struggle to compete, which can damage local agricultural traditions and rural economies.

To conclude, I would like to say that, both consider positive or negative development However, it will depend upon the mindsets of the people that which view they are in favour of.

In summary, buying international food in supermarkets offers great convenience and variety, but it also creates environmental and economic challenges. Overall, while global food trade improves our daily choices, society must find ways to support local farmers and reduce the carbon footprint of transport.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of global food trade. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention environmental concerns and local economic impacts, these points are not fully extended with specific examples or deep analysis. The introduction is slightly confused, as it attempts to frame the topic as a debate between two groups of people rather than focusing on the development itself. Your position is stated but lacks consistent support throughout the body paragraphs. To improve, ensure each main idea is supported by a clear, logical explanation that directly links back to your overall stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow is hindered by mechanical and repetitive use of cohesive devices. For example, 'In addition' is repeated twice consecutively, and the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph is abrupt. Some sentences, such as 'people who held another view point say that . They believe that ,Despite these advantages', contain punctuation errors that disrupt the logical progression of ideas. While the essay is coherent enough to follow, the use of linking words is not always natural or flexible, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, which prevents a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some relevant topic-specific terms like 'carbon emissions', 'domestic farmers', and 'agricultural traditions'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'every coin has two sides and so are the people'. There is also a lack of more sophisticated, less common lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of control. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive or overly simple sentence starters.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede the flow. For instance, 'consumer can go to a supermarket has become' is grammatically incorrect, and there are several instances of unnecessary commas and periods, such as 'say that . They believe that ,Despite'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage also require attention (e.g., 'in the favour of positive development view'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being considered error-free or highly controlled.

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

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