Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-13
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 6.5)
In recent years, in numerous countries, buyers have been able to buy food produced all over the world by going to a supermarket. This is mainly because of international trade and improved transportation. In my opinion, this is a positive development because it provides more choices and allows people to enjoy different types of food. However, it also has some disadvantages.
On the one hand, buying this food has a lot of benefits. Firstly, it will provide us with more choices. Secondly, we will be able to buy fruits, vegetables, and other things that are not available in our country. For example, People in Pakistan can buy apples from foreign countries that are not present locally. In addition to this, eating food from other countries may enable us to understand their culture and traditions. This makes their daily meals more interesting. Moreover, importing food can be helpful when local production is not enough to meet people's needs.
On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages to this development. Transporting food to other countries should increase pollution because trucks, ships, and planes use fuel. Furthermore, imported food will be more expensive than local food, and most of the people cannot afford it because of their low income. Another problem is that consumers may prefer imported products and ignore local farmers, which could reduce their income.
In conclusion, although buying food from around the world can cause pollution and create difficulties for local farmers, I believe it is a positive development overall. It provides consumers with more choices and allows them to enjoy a wider variety of food. However, people should also support local farmers whenever possible.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
Your position is clear from the introduction to the conclusion: you consider worldwide food availability positive overall while acknowledging drawbacks. You address both sides and support the benefits with relevant points about choice, access to unavailable produce, cultural understanding, and shortages in local production. The Pakistan-and-apples example helps make one point concrete. This fits a response that covers the task and extends its ideas, although some support remains general. For instance, the claims that imported food is more expensive and that most people cannot afford it are not explained or illustrated. Develop such points with a specific example or a clearer explanation of when and why the disadvantage occurs.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The essay has a clear, effective structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs contrast benefits and drawbacks, and the conclusion restates your judgement. Ideas progress logically within each paragraph, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” make the relationships easy to follow. This is a strong overall progression. However, the repeated sequencing words “Firstly” and “Secondly,” followed by several additions such as “In addition to this” and “Moreover,” make some cohesion feel list-like. You could improve flexibility by linking explanations directly to claims—for example, showing how greater choice benefits consumers—rather than relying mainly on explicit transitions.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
Your vocabulary is adequate for discussing the topic, and phrases such as “international trade,” “local production,” “imported products,” and “local farmers” are relevant and generally clear. You also use topic-specific terms without making the argument difficult to understand. However, the range is somewhat repetitive and several expressions are broad or imprecise, including “a lot of benefits,” “other things,” and “more interesting.” “Food produced all over the world” is repeated from the prompt rather than varied. Aim for more precise collocations and a wider range of terms for availability, affordability, and environmental impact. This would make your points more exact while retaining the clear, accessible style of the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a clear concession in “although buying food from around the world can cause pollution…” and a relative clause in “apples from foreign countries that are not present locally.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and the paragraphing and punctuation are generally controlled. Some grammatical choices are less accurate or consistent: “Transporting food to other countries should increase pollution” uses “should” where a direct present-tense claim is intended, and “most of the people cannot afford it” has an unnecessary article. The capital letter in “People” after “For example,” is also incorrect. Review modal verbs, article use, and punctuation after introductory phrases to improve accuracy.
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