Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-12

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 the recent years, supermarket in many countries offer a wide range of food products imported from different parts of the world. Although, this trend can have some environmental and economic drawbacks, I believe that it is largely a positive development because it provides consumer with great choice and supports international trade.

Consumers have more variety and choice as well as they can purchase products that are not naturally available in their own country. For example, supermarkets in Nepal sell fruits such as apples and oranges from neighbouring countries as well as imported foods from Europe and Asia. This allows consumers to experience different cuisines and maintain a more diverse diet. Moreover, imported food can be particularly valuable when local production is affected by natural disasters, droughts or seasonal shortages.

Another significant benefit is that international food trade can create economic opportunities for farmers and businesses. When agricultural products are exported, farmers in developing countries can reach larger markets and increase their income. For instance, Nepalese products such as tea, coffee and spices can be sold in foreign markets, benefiting local producers and contributing to the national economy. International trade can therefore strengthen connections between countries and encourage agricultural development.

However, transporting food over long distances can have negative environmental consequences. Trucks, ships and aeroplanes consume fuel and produce greenhouse gases. In addition, imported food may sometimes be packed extensively to maintain its quality during transportation, increasing plastic and other waste.

In conclusion, although the global availability of food can increase transportation-related pollution and waste, I believe that its advantages outweight its disadvantages. Greater consumer choice, improved food availabity and economic opportunities for producers make this positive development overall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of global food availability and clearly stating a position that it is largely a positive development. Ideas are well developed and supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of fruits imported into Nepal and the economic benefits for local farmers. The main arguments are extended appropriately throughout the essay. The writer successfully covers the environmental drawbacks as well as the consumer choice and economic advantages, meeting the requirements of a balanced response. Minor generalisations are present, but the overall task is fully addressed, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response has a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from an introduction to consumer benefits, economic advantages, environmental disadvantages, and finally a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Although', 'For example', 'Moreover', and 'However'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately. While some transitions feel slightly mechanical, the overall structure maintains clear logical flow and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision to discuss the topic. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'environmental and economic drawbacks', 'naturally available', 'seasonal shortages', and 'transportation-related pollution'. There are occasional minor inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, for instance, writing 'provides consumer with great choice' (should be consumers plural) and 'food availabity' (spelling error in conclusion). However, the vocabulary is adequate to convey precise meanings and communication is never impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional or concessive clauses such as 'Although, this trend can have some environmental and economic drawbacks, I believe that...' and 'When agricultural products are exported...'. There are some minor grammatical errors and punctuation slips, such as 'In the recent years' (unnecessary article), 'supermarket in many countries offer' (singular noun with plural verb agreement), and 'outweight' (spelling/morphology error). Despite these minor errors, complex structures are attempted with reasonable success, and meaning remains clear throughout.

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