Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-12

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)

Increasing number of buyers are preferring to purchase goods that are locally manufactured rather than buying internationally produced goods. I see this as a positive trend. There are few reasons for that, this is essay will support the above statement.

First, the support. In countries such as India, locally produced products are extremely rare. But for the past decade, more number of local people came forward to start their own manufacturing plant to produce products within the country. For instance, till 2011, there were no locally manufactured cars in the country. After 2011, there were 2 car companies were established such as TATA and Mahindra. Indian people also gave a strong support to those new companies.

Second, the cost. Products that are manufactured overseas tend to be more expensive than that of locally made. There are few reasons which contribute to this. Primarily the shipping cost. Locally sourced goods needs shipping only within the country which will be far cheaper than that of international shipping. Then the tax, more countries are implementing tariffs on importing goods which again adds to price tag of the product. To illustrate, the Indian government implements 100% of import tax for shipping vehicles from overseas. Goods that are sourced locally will not have these issues.

Third, development of the country. If increasing number of people buy things locally, those manufacturers can expand their companies within the country initially and then moving on to international markets. If more manufacturers are able to achieve this, it will lead to a boost in the country’s economy.

Despite having few advantages of purchasing internationally produced goods such as quality, it definitely does not outweigh the above advantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the trend and the writer's opinion. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The first body paragraph focuses on the growth of local manufacturing in India, which is relevant, but the second paragraph on costs and the third on economic development are more persuasive. The conclusion is quite brief and could have better summarised the main points to reinforce the position. Overall, the ideas are relevant, but some points, particularly the historical example of car manufacturing, could be more tightly linked to the general trend of consumer preference.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First', 'Second', 'Third', and 'For instance', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'First, the support' and 'Second, the cost'. Referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words beyond simple enumeration. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, contributing to the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'manufacturing plant', 'tariffs', and 'importing goods'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'more number of local people' instead of 'a greater number of local people' or 'more people'. The word choice is generally functional but lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'this is essay will support' (should be 'this essay'), 'locally sourced goods needs' (subject-verb agreement), and 'there were 2 car companies were established' (redundant verb). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. The writer demonstrates a basic control of grammar, but the frequency of errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage prevents a higher score.

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

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