Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-13

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)

In recent years, availability of food produced in different countries of the world has become increasingly common. Although, this development offers several advantages, it also have certain disadvantages. This essay will examine both sides of this trend.

One major advantage of having a supermarket with the food produced all over the world is that the people get a chance to taste different flavours and cuisines. This is because many people are curious about various countries culture and food practices. For example, many tourists from different countries visit india to enjoy the food and the culture of india. Another benifit is that the people living away from their own country can get the food from their country. It facilitate many people to survive in other countries. For example people migrating from India to canada, find it beneficial to have the food produced in india.

However, there are also some drawbacks associated with this development. The most significant disadvantage is that the food coming from different countries will be added with preservatives in order to increase its shelf life, which may be harmful for the health of the individuals. For instance, to export meat from india to canada, it must be stored by adding preservatives to maintain its shelf life. Furthermore, The cost of the food might be high, meaning the price of the food increases because it is getting transported from other country. For exemple, The cost of rice in India is comparatively lesser than the same rice in canada.

In conclusion, although availabity of the food from different countries has some disadvantages, I believe that its advantages outweigh the drawbacks and it is a positive development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of having access to global food in supermarkets, and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion ("I believe that its advantages outweigh the drawbacks and it is a positive development"). Ideas are generally relevant, such as culinary exploration and the convenience for expatriates, balanced against concerns regarding preservatives and higher costs. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or rely on repetitive examples, such as repeatedly mentioning the trade route between India and Canada. This places the response comfortably at Band 6.5, meeting the requirements for addressing all parts of the task with a clear position, though development and support could be extended further for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing advantages and disadvantages separately, and a distinct conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as "One major advantage," "Another benifit," "However," and "In conclusion." Nevertheless, referencing and cohesion can sometimes feel mechanical or slightly repetitive, and there are minor structural flaws in linking sentences. Overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as "increasingly common," "shelf life," and "preservatives." However, there are notable spelling errors ("benifit," "availabity," "Exemple") and occasional awkward word choices or lowercase capitalization errors for proper nouns (e.g., "india," "canada"). The vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main ideas clearly, but inaccuracies prevent it from reaching Band 7. A band score of 6.0 reflects adequate resource use with some mechanical spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and concessive clauses ("Although, this development offers several advantages, it also have certain disadvantages"). There are several noticeable grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ("it also have") and punctuation or capitalization slips. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the essay. This performance is characteristic of Band 6, where a mix of structures is attempted alongside recurring non-systematic errors.

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