Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-10

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)

Certain end users are rapidly wiling to purchase products that are made in their local communities, rather than internationally. This essay will discuss this is happening and why this is a positive trends.

One significant reason why I consider this as positive trend is that buying goods from local areas help in improving the economy in the country. For example, beans are mostly grown in the northern part of Nigeria and can be exported to other countries like Chad, Benin Republic, Ghana in order to generate income for Nigeria. In addition, it reduces spoilage of goods that are imported. For instance, fruits like strawberries, banana which has a short lifespan especially when in an enclosed space during packaging can spoil which can affect the fruits being imported.

Also, goods produces in the local areas tends to be less expensive than imported goods To illustrate, A bag of rice made in Nigeria is 70,000 Naira but Foreign made rice is 150,000 naira because of the amount used in shipping the product and also Custom clearance is added. Furthermore, there is reduction of taxes that will be made in the African nations

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 190 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address both parts of the prompt—reasons for the trend and your opinion on it—the arguments are underdeveloped. For instance, the point about economic improvement is mentioned but lacks a clear explanation of how local consumption specifically drives this beyond a brief example. The conclusion is also missing, which is a key component of a balanced essay. To improve, you must expand your supporting points with more depth and ensure you provide a clear, structured conclusion that summarizes your position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'In addition', 'For instance', and 'Furthermore'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the reasons and the evaluation of the trend is abrupt. The lack of a concluding paragraph makes the overall structure feel incomplete. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects back to the main prompt, leading to a more cohesive and logical progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some topic-specific terms like 'imported goods', 'economy', and 'custom clearance', which is positive. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'end users' (which is more technical/marketing jargon than appropriate for this essay) and 'rapidly wiling to'. The repetition of basic structures limits the sophistication of your writing. To improve, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary and synonyms to avoid repeating words like 'goods' and 'products' throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'buying goods... help in improving' should be 'helps', and 'goods produces in the local areas tends' should be 'goods produced... tend'. There are also issues with punctuation, such as missing full stops at the end of sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of subject-verb agreement and pluralization.

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