Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Over the past few decades, individuals in several countries. They can purchase food and groceries from the supermarket, which is produced all over the world. While this trend offers certain advantages, I believe it also brings some drawbacks making it both a positive and negative development.

On the one hand, nowadays individuals can buy products and food items in every season. This is because in some places, there is not much farming, which is why food production cannot happen. Consequently, they face a lack of food availability in their area. Moreover, international food trade solved this problem, since if people want to buy winter season food item in summer season they can easily purchase from the supermarket. A clear this is that Indian individuals experience American fruits taste in their country they can go near by supermarket and buy it. Therefore, consumers believe that it is beneficial for them, they can get other countries food item.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages, which make negative growth. The main reason for this that government invest a lot of money on international food trade, even they sell products with high taxes. For that reason, every people can not buy expensive items. For instance, international food demand is very high demand because it provides good quality products. Hence, supermarket sell it with high cost.

To conclude, this trend offers twelve month flexibility people can purchase any food product in every month without waiting for the specific seasons. In contrast, some rural areas do not have supermarket facilities.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

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 limited. The arguments regarding seasonal availability and economic costs are introduced but lack depth and specific, well-explained examples. For instance, the mention of 'Indian individuals' experiencing 'American fruits' is a good start but is not fully developed into a coherent argument. The position is clear, but the supporting points are somewhat repetitive and lack the necessary analytical depth required for a higher band score. To improve, ensure each paragraph provides a clear topic sentence followed by a detailed explanation and a concrete example.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'A clear this is that' and 'The main reason for this that' are grammatically incorrect and disrupt the flow of ideas. While there is an attempt to use transition words like 'On the one hand' and 'In contrast', the logical progression between sentences is frequently hindered by awkward phrasing and missing links. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range expected at higher levels. There is a reliance on basic terms such as 'food items', 'good quality', and 'high cost'. Some word choices are unnatural, such as 'negative growth' to describe a disadvantage, or 'twelve month flexibility'. There are also issues with collocation, such as 'experience American fruits taste'. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary and ensuring that words are used in their correct context, rather than relying on simple, repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'individuals in several countries' (an incomplete sentence), 'every people can not buy' (incorrect quantifier usage), and 'supermarket sell it' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, article usage, and sentence completeness will lead to significant improvement.

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

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