Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17

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)

Nowadays people can easily buy foreign food items while visiting the supermarket, This has led to the emergence of a heated debate. Half of the population believe it will bring freshness to their tastebuds by eating the food from different origins however the other percentage think that it will be hazardous for their health. From my perspective, this development will increase the consumption of non-native foods which will be directly proportional to the health complications.

The primary reason for my point of view is that, foreign foods require months for transportation. Longer shipping time could cause the production of aflatoxins which lead to the spoilage of food or food-borne illnesses including diarrhea, ulcers and others. Research has shown that the rate of food-borne diseases due to aflatoxin is increasing in countries that consume imported food products. Even though, food products are packed in strict monitoring system, still toxins can enter into the food through various routes; air, hand or packaging material.

The secondary concern which makes my mind against this development is the inappropriate handling of food during export. Contaminated gloves and unwashed containers have been used while handling and shipping, which ultimately increases the medical risk. If vulnerable persons eat this contaminated foreign food, it will lead to serious medical complications. Moreover, Foreign foods can also be used as a source of spreading bioterrorism, which can exert a heavy healthcare and economic burden to a country.

To conclude, I strongly believe that easy access to foreign food and its consumption can adversely impact the health of its consumers while it can also be a source of serious socioeconomic issues such as bioterrorism. So for this reasons, supermarkets should not provide foregin food to natives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear negative stance on the development of consuming imported food. The writer presents relevant arguments centred around health risks, specifically mentioning aflatoxins and contamination during transport. However, the development of ideas leans towards being somewhat exaggerated or heavily medicalised (such as bringing up bioterrorism), which prevents the argument from feeling fully balanced or completely convincing. While all parts of the prompt are addressed, the main position tends to over-generalise the hazards of supermarkets offering global produce without considering the economic or cultural benefits. This performance aligns with Band 6.0 descriptors, where relevant ideas are presented, but some aspects feel under-developed or extreme in their support.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a generally coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different arguments, such as transportation time and improper handling. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition 'The secondary concern which makes my mind against this development' is awkward, and there is a comma splice in the opening sentence ('supermarket, This'). Referencing is mostly clear, but the logical progression between sentences occasionally feels abrupt. These features place the response firmly in the Band 6.0 category, where cohesion is functional but sometimes mechanical or faulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'emergence', 'proportional', 'spoilage', and 'socioeconomic'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some inaccuracies occur, such as 'spreading bioterrorism' or awkward collocations like 'heavy healthcare and economic burden'. Spelling is generally good, but there are minor errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'for this reasons' in the conclusion. The lexical range is sufficient to communicate the writer's ideas clearly, which matches the Band 6.0 descriptor for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditionals ('If vulnerable persons eat...') and relative clauses. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including comma splices ('...supermarket, This...'), missing articles ('in countries that consume imported food products'), and agreement errors ('So for this reasons'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the meaning remains clear. This balance of mixed structures and frequent minor errors corresponds well to the Band 6.0 criteria for grammatical range and accuracy.

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