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)
With the growing population, consumption of goods are also increasing. The discussion of buying goods is surely one that begs the question of consumers inclination towards the local goods rather than the imported ones. I largely agree that major strength of people tend to buy local products these days.
There are several reasons behind this growing trend which we will be discussing here. Primarily, awareness among the people regarding the economical factors are participating here. Buying goods from local areas are not only pocket friendly but also contributing to country's economy. For an instance, buying local goods increases employment rates in our country and taxes imposed on goods is contributed to country's development.
In addition, local goods are readily available and if we talk about food items, they are more nutritious. For example, Local food is more nutritious in terms of its seasonal availability and no preservatives with lower shelf life whereas imported goods are produced with storage longevity mind set i.e. large number of preservatives.
Admittedly, critics may argue that buying imported goods can also be beneficial for country in terms of import and export deals within different countries. It helps to maintain good relationship with neighbouring countries. It can partly be true as well but the benefits of buying imported goods far outweigh this minor concern. For example, US applied 50% of tariff on importing and exporting goods. If consumers have to pay hefty amount for the imported goods which are also available in local market at much lower price, makes no sense.
In conclusion, although buying imported products can sound fascinating and build good relationship between countries. However, I still believe that buying local goods outshines in every aspect from economic factors to health benefits. We should definitely buy local goods and support our nation.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for the trend and expressing a clear position that it is a positive development. The ideas are relevant, such as economic benefits and health advantages. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the explanation regarding 'economical factors' and 'employment rates' is quite general and could be strengthened with more specific examples or deeper analysis. The conclusion is clear, but the argument regarding international trade in the fourth paragraph is slightly confusing, as it shifts focus to tariffs rather than fully explaining why the trend is positive or negative. Overall, the response meets the requirements but lacks the depth needed for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Primarily', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'The discussion of buying goods is surely one that begs the question of consumers inclination'. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the fourth paragraph where the argument about US tariffs feels disconnected from the main point about local versus imported goods. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to achieve a more natural progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use less common items like 'nutritious', 'preservatives', and 'longevity', which is positive. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'major strength of people tend to buy', 'economical factors are participating here', and 'storage longevity mind set'. These errors do not impede communication, but they highlight a limitation in the range and precision of the vocabulary used. To improve, the student should focus on more natural phrasing and collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('consumption of goods are', 'taxes imposed on goods is contributed') and awkward phrasing ('makes no sense' as a sentence fragment). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction that require the reader to re-read for clarity. The range of structures is sufficient for the task, but the frequency of errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Greater attention to basic grammatical accuracy is recommended.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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