Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

People prefer to purchase items which is produced by the local factories or industries instead of consuming overseas produced products. This trend is considered positive because of the reasons like quality and quantity, affordability and reliability.

Citizens do not believe to purchase imported items as they can get more reliable and high quality goods from regional brands. In addition, local vendors and manufacturers are more trusted by natives in terms of providing commendable services with great guarantees and warranties at reasonable charges compared to international companies which sometimes fails to take an accountability for poor services and damaged products. Moreover, great reliability and cost effectiveness promotes locals shopping rather than buy an international goods. To exemplify, African people buy fruits and vegetables from local farmers only as they grow it organically despite of reputed overseas agricultural companies whose farming methods are unknown to them.

I believe the trend of regional shopping has a positive impacts on economy, small businesses and culture promotion. Small creative businesses like art work and handicraft and other retail shop will benefits with more profit and help them to grow their business through shop from them. Furthermore, by reducing collect imported items and promoting national brands will increase overall economy of the country through reducing international taxes. For example, Indian governments have been benefited with 12% of economic growth by higher regional shopping culture and reduction of overseas goods transportation.

To conclude, with a strong reasons like economic growth, and local developments trend of purchasing cost-effective and higher quality goods from the national brands rather than international brands have been proved as a positive improvements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend and the evaluation of whether it is positive or negative. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the reasons (quality, reliability, affordability) are mentioned, they are not fully explored with depth. The example regarding African farmers is a bit vague, and the economic argument regarding Indian government growth lacks specific context or clarity. To improve, ensure that each point is supported by a more detailed explanation or a more precise, logical example to demonstrate a higher level of critical thinking.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Moreover', and 'To conclude'. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by mechanical or repetitive transitions. For instance, the phrase 'with a strong reasons like' in the conclusion is grammatically awkward and disrupts the cohesion. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother to avoid a list-like feel. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used with greater precision would enhance the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'cost-effectiveness', 'handicraft', and 'organic'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'do not believe to purchase' instead of 'are reluctant to purchase', and 'reducing collect imported items'. These errors do not impede communication but prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise terminology to express complex ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('items which is produced', 'companies which sometimes fails') and article misuse ('the Indian governments'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede the reader's understanding. The punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels slightly unnatural. To reach a higher band, you should aim for greater accuracy in complex structures and proofread carefully to eliminate basic errors in agreement and pluralization.

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