Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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 6.5)

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 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: it identifies reasons for the shift toward local goods (economic support, quality assurance, environmental impact) and provides a balanced view on whether it is a positive or negative trend. The ideas are generally well-developed, particularly the economic and environmental arguments. However, the explanation of the negative side—the lack of variety—is slightly less developed compared to the positive aspects. The position is clear throughout, and the arguments are supported with relevant examples, such as the comparison of jeans manufacturing costs and the mention of global brands like Nike.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a distinct theme, such as the economic benefits or the potential drawbacks. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'For instance,' 'Whereas,' and 'To conclude,' which help guide the reader through the argument. However, there are instances where the flow could be smoother; for example, the transition between the environmental benefits and the mention of taxes in the third paragraph is slightly abrupt. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the clarity of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate and allows for clear communication of ideas. The student uses some topic-specific terminology such as 'carbon footprint,' 'economy,' and 'manufactured.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'a jeans' (should be 'a pair of jeans') and the phrase 'making the cost of the goods even more expensive' in the third paragraph, which contradicts the intended meaning of the sentence. While the range is sufficient for the task, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a good attempt at using complex sentences, such as 'If products are purchased locally, it not only supports the business but also supports the economy.' However, there are persistent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues and awkward phrasing, such as 'the jeans was made' (should be 'were made') and 'the organization is not well-versed around the world' (which is an incorrect use of 'well-versed'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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.