Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-22

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 today’s interconnected global economy, modern supermarkets frequently stock food items sourced from various continents. While this trend poses significant financial pressures on domestic agricultural industries, I believe it is ultimately a positive development because it enhances dietary variety and secures food availability year-round.On the one hand, the over-reliance on imported products can have adverse consequences for local economies. When supermarkets prioritize foreign imports due to cheaper production costs abroad, local farmers face intense price competition. This dynamic often leads to reduced profitability for domestic farms, sometimes forcing traditional farmers out of business. Furthermore, the environmental footprint associated with transporting food over thousands of miles—commonly referred to as "food miles"—contributes heavily to global carbon emissions, undermining environmental sustainability.On the other hand, the benefits to consumer standard of living are profound. Primarily, global food supply chains ensure that populations have uninterrupted access to essential nutrients and fresh produce, bypassing the limitations of seasonal scarcity. For instance, people living in colder climates can consume fresh tropical fruits during winter, which would otherwise be impossible without global trade. Moreover, exposure to international food products enriches local culinary cultures and gives consumers a wider range of high-quality options at highly competitive prices.In conclusion, although the influx of global food items can create economic strain for regional agricultural workers and elevate transport emissions, the advantages are more significant. The system ultimately safeguards food security, drives down grocery costs, and vastly expands the nutritional diversity available to everyday citizens

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting a clear position on whether the availability of global food in supermarkets is a positive or negative development. The writer considers both sides of the argument, discussing negative consequences like economic pressures on local farmers and carbon footprints, alongside positive aspects such as dietary variety and year-round food security. Ideas are well developed with relevant examples, such as consuming fresh tropical fruits during winter. However, a penalty must be applied because the response contains only 243 words, failing to meet the minimum requirement of 250 words. Consequently, Task Achievement is slightly limited by this under-length penalty.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are coherently linked, starting with a strong introduction that outlines the writer's stance. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, cleanly dividing the counter-argument about economic and environmental drawbacks from the supporting arguments regarding lifestyle and health benefits. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'On the other hand' are managed well to guide the reader smoothly through the text, ensuring a logical flow from one argument to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, suitable for an academic task. Less common lexical items are used effectively with good awareness of style and collocation, such as 'interconnected global economy,' 'agricultural industries,' 'seasonal scarcity,' and 'nutritional diversity.' There are very few lexical errors, and the vocabulary used allows the writer to convey precise meanings clearly. The register remains formal and academic throughout the response, matching the expectations for an IELTS Academic Task 2 essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer employs a wide variety of complex sentence structures with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, demonstrating good control of grammar and punctuation. Examples of successful complex forms include 'While this trend poses significant financial pressures on domestic agricultural industries, I believe it is ultimately a positive development because...' and conditional constructions like 'which would otherwise be impossible without global trade.' Punctuation is accurate, and occasional minor issues, such as a missing space before 'On the one hand' in the body paragraph, do not impede communication or detract from the overall strong grammatical control.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.