Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-14

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 4.5)

IN THE MODERN ERA,GLOBAL TRADE NETWORKS ALLOW SUPERMARKETS TO STOCK FOOD ITEMS IMRTED FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE. WHILE THIS TREND CARRIES CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS REGARDING TRANSPORTION EMISSION, I BELIEVE IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT OVERALL BEACAUSE IT ENHANCES DIETARY AND STABILIZES FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS WORLDWIDE.

ON THE ONE HAND, CRITICS OF IMPORTED FOOD RAISE VALID CONCERNS ABOUT ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. TRANSPORTING PERISHABLE PRODUCE ACROSS OCEANS AND CONTINENTS VIA AIR CARGO OR CARGO SHIPS GENERATES SIGNIFICANT CARBON EMISSIONS, CONTRIBUTING TO GLOBAL WARMING. ADDITIONALLY, DOMESTIC AGRICULTURAL SECTORS, AS LOCAL FRAMERS OFTEN INTERNALTION GROWERS.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE GLOBAL FOOD TRADE OFFERS SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS TO CONSUMERS AND ECONOMIES ALIKE. FIRSTLY, IT PROVIDES ACCESS TO A VASTLY ENRICHED DIET. PEOPLE LIVING IN COLDER REGIONCAN ENJOY FRESH TROPICAL FRUITS LIKE BANANA

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under-length, containing only 130 words compared to the required 250-word minimum. This severely impacts task achievement, as the prompt is cut off mid-sentence and ideas cannot be fully extended or developed. Although the writer attempts to address the task by stating a clear position and outlining both positive and negative aspects, the abrupt ending prevents the completion of the argument. Therefore, the response can only be addressed minimally in terms of full task fulfillment due to the incomplete nature of the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

Despite the incomplete text, the writer demonstrates an awareness of paragraph structure by using transition signals such as 'ON THE ONE HAND' and 'ON THE OTHER HAND'. Ideas are introduced logically, starting with environmental concerns and moving toward consumer benefits. However, because the text stops prematurely at the second body paragraph, it is difficult to evaluate overall progression and a full conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, but referencing and paragraph flow are truncated by the sudden cessation of writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the text produced, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'GLOBAL TRADE NETWORKS', 'PERISHABLE PRODUCE', and 'AGRICULTURAL SECTORS'. However, there are notable spelling and lexical errors, including 'IMRTED' for imported, 'TRANSPORTION' for transportation, 'BEACAUSE' for because, 'FRAMERS' for farmers, and 'INTERNALTION' for international. These errors, alongside the awkward phrasing 'local framers ofternaltion growers', detract from the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the initial concessive clause starting with 'WHILE THIS TREND CARRIES...'. However, grammatical control is compromised by several errors, including missing articles and unfinished sentences (e.g., 'REGIONCAN' and the incomplete sentence ending with 'banana'). Punctuation is also affected by the all-caps formatting and abrupt ending. The frequent errors and incomplete structures place this criterion at a lower band level.

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

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