Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-28

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some consumers are increasingly choosing to buy goods that are produced in their local area, rather than imported goods.

What are the reasons for this?

Is this a positive or a negative trend?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.5)

Several individuals nowadays prefer to buy local goods instead of imported ones. A sudden change in the taste of consumers has shifted the cycle from only buying imported goods to now transitioning towards locally produced goods. This trend is positive, as individuals now know how important and beneficial it is to support local brands.

Individuals have now realised that they have been only using and supporting foreign brands, and have only realised how dependent they are on them. They paid hefty prices for the imported items, not knowing they were only supporting the brand and the country from where the products were arriving. Consumers can rely on the products that are manufactured and supplied locally, knowing the quality will not be compromised. For instance, if a jeans is imported from the United States of America, it would cost one hundred and fifty dollars, and the tag of the product will mention where it was manufactured in a different country, like Indonesia, where the labour is cheap and the quality of the fabric required to make the jeans would not be very good, so the jeans was made at a cheaper rate and then sold at a very high rate. Whereas, if those same jeans were fully manufactured in India, they would cost half of what the product was originally sold for.

This trend of focusing and supporting the local brands is not only a positive sign for the businesses but also for the country. If products are purchased locally, it not only supports the business but also supports the economy. This raises awareness amongst individuals to start promoting local brands and avoid the use of imported goods. This also has a bigger impact on the environment, since the goods are produced and sold locally, this process reduces the carbon footprint, and less transportation would mean less fuel consumption, so there would be less pollution in society. Since the goods were produced locally, individuals wouldn't have to incur the heavy taxes, making the cost of the goods even more expensive.

The negative side of this trend would be the lack of options and variety available locally. To illustrate, individuals prefer to wear sneakers from a brand called Nike, due to the comfort they provide and how common the shoes of this brand are found around the world. If a local brand starts selling footwear, several individuals would hesitate to purchase shoes from their brand since the organization is not well-versed around the world. This would make individuals only rely on the brand that they are aware of, making it difficult for the local brands to survive in that particular sector.

To conclude, supporting local businesses would not only help the company evolve but also help the country grow by boosting its economy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by identifying reasons for the shift toward local goods and providing a clear opinion on whether this is a positive or negative trend. Your ideas are well-supported with relevant examples, such as the comparison of jeans manufacturing costs and the environmental benefits of reduced transportation. The discussion on the negative aspects, such as the lack of variety, adds depth to your argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that your conclusion fully synthesises your main points rather than just restating the positive side, as you briefly touched upon a negative aspect in the body paragraph that was not fully integrated into your final summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Your essay is logically organised with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a distinct aspect of the topic, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use cohesive devices such as 'For instance', 'Whereas', and 'To conclude' effectively to link your ideas. However, some transitions are slightly repetitive, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words. For example, the transition between the environmental benefits and the mention of taxes in the third paragraph is a bit abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'carbon footprint', 'incur', and 'well-versed' appropriately. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'shifted the cycle' or 'the organisation is not well-versed around the world'. While these do not impede communication, they show a need for more precise collocation. You successfully use topic-specific vocabulary related to economics and trade, which helps convey your points clearly. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated synonyms and ensuring that your word choices are consistently natural in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures throughout the essay. While your meaning is always clear, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'if a jeans is imported' (should be 'if a pair of jeans is imported') and 'making the cost of the goods even more expensive' (which contradicts your point about saving money). Additionally, there are minor errors in article usage and subject-verb agreement. Despite these, your control of grammar is generally good, and the errors do not cause difficulty for the reader. Incorporating more varied complex structures would help elevate your score.

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