Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-07

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)

The discussion of purchasing locally produced goods is surely one that begs the question of exactly whether is it beneficial for the country or it has negative impact. In my opinion, it is a positive trend and has several economic benefits. With the help of this essay I would like to discuss those in further paragraphs.

Firstly, consumers are moving towards local products because of various reasons. Take for instance, local products are cheaper in cost, as they were produced within the same country and it promotes independence as we don't have to rely on imported products. Moreover, it also helps in boosting the economy, which is extremely important for any nation in the current times.

Secondly, to handle situations like tariffs. For example, because of political reasons, last year the United States of America had applied plenty of tariffs over the Canadian Government, due to that prices of imported food items had seen a sharp increase. As a result, Canada has started exploring their locally produced goods in order to tackle the situation. Nevertheless, it helped in building the trust of general public among their fellow Canadians and similarly such issues could easily be handled in the future.

However, critics may argue that by doing this it will impact market pricing. To illustrate further, many countries import goods because it provides variety and competition to their fellow producers. Ultimately, general public choose which product they want to buy without doing a compromise on the quality and cost. It also helps avoid monopoly businesses.

To conclude, both sides present strong arguments. However, I still opine that, having local made products is better choice and this trend should continue further. Considering the major reason of increased consumption, such as, to become self sufficient, to handle difficult times like war and tariffs, it is a positive trend and right one as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for buying local and the opinion on whether it is a positive or negative trend. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the reasons (cost, independence, economic boost) are mentioned, they are not fully extended with sufficient depth. The example regarding US-Canada tariffs is relevant but could be more clearly linked to the broader argument. The counter-argument is present but lacks a strong rebuttal, which limits the depth of the discussion. Overall, the response meets the requirements but remains at a general level of analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'To illustrate further', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the sentence 'the general public among their fellow Canadians', which is slightly awkward. Despite these minor issues, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'tariffs', 'monopoly', and 'self-sufficient'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice or awkward phrasing, such as 'begs the question of exactly whether is it beneficial' (which is grammatically incorrect and stylistically clunky) and 'doing a compromise'. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'exactly whether is it beneficial' (incorrect word order in an indirect question), 'had applied plenty of tariffs over the Canadian Government' (incorrect preposition), and 'having local made products is better choice' (missing article). While these errors do not impede communication, they demonstrate a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms. Increasing the accuracy of sentence construction and article usage is essential for improvement.

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

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