Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The topic of buying things from supermarkets has become a widely discussed issue in contemporary society. Some people believe that it has several advantages, while others argue that it may have certain disadvantages. This essay will critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages before reaching a well-reasoned conclusion.

On the one hand, proponents of buying food from supermarkets primarily contend that people are more likely to buy authentic and hygienic foods, which can

have a significant impact on living a healthy and secure life; as a result, people can increase their life expectancy. Additionally, supporters of this development argue that those citizens who do not want to bargain with shoppers, they can gather quality foods from supermarkets at a certain price. A pertinent illustration of this can be seen in most of the nations, where most people are buying organic food from supermarkets, because every supermarkets contain all countries authentic foods, highlighting the tangible benefits of this approach.

On the other hand, one key disadvantage of buying food or other things from supermarkets is that local shops are losing their customers. This is because most conscious people are buying their food from supermarkets, which can ultimately lead to consumer mitigation. Therefore, local shops owners are declined face economical dificulties and mental pressure, directly influencing the ability of local shop owners to lose their shops.

In conclusion, after examining these arguments, I am convinced that the advantages are far more significant. While various dimensions surround this issue, the analysis above makes it clear that the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, primarily because individuals are taking healthy and authentic foods and other products through supermarkets. Therefore, this remains the most practical path forward.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of buying global food in supermarkets, culminating in a clear personal position in the conclusion. The introduction, however, relies somewhat heavily on formulaic phrasing ('This essay will critically evaluate...') rather than directly outlining the specific arguments. In the body paragraphs, ideas are presented but sometimes lack depth or drift slightly into peripheral issues, such as the mention of shoppers bargaining or the somewhat unclear consequence of 'consumer mitigation'. While the position is clear and all parts of the prompt are touched upon, the supporting arguments would benefit from greater specificity and development to reach a higher band level. Thus, it aligns best with Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a standard four-paragraph structure and clear signposting phrases like 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is utilised appropriately to separate contrasting views. However, cohesion at the sentence level is occasionally faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition in the second paragraph ('those citizens who do not want to bargain with shoppers, they can gather...') contains a grammatical slip that disrupts logical flow. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'every supermarkets contain all countries authentic foods'. Progression is present, but logical links between ideas can be repetitive or cumbersome, justifying a score of 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'contemporary society', 'life expectancy', and 'tangible benefits'. However, there are notable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word formation. Examples include 'consumer mitigation', 'local shops owners are declined face economical dificulties', and spelling errors like 'dificulties'. Furthermore, there is awkward phrasing such as 'every supermarkets contain'. While communication is generally maintained despite these errors, the lexical limitations and inaccuracies prevent the response from achieving a Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over multi-clause structures. However, grammatical errors occur with enough frequency to hinder fluency. Notable issues include a dangling dependent clause in the second paragraph ('those citizens who do not want to bargain with shoppers, they can gather...'), subject-verb agreement errors ('every supermarkets contain'), and awkward passive/active transitions ('local shops owners are declined face economical dificulties'). Punctuation and phrasing in the conclusion are relatively stable, but the presence of persistent errors across complex structures places this response firmly in the Band 6 category.

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