Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13

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 preference for locally made goods has drastically increased in comparison to foreign products. This essay will discuss why this is happening and explain the impact on society.

Many people currently value goods produced in their local area because they trust the production process and these goods are relatively cheaper than the imported ones. Foreign made goods for example clothes are usually very expensive due to cost of transportation and tax imposed by the government at borders while products that are made locally do not have these unnecessary fares making them less pricey. The introduction of genetic food into the market has made people see the relevance of local farmers. People do not trust these food and would rather patronize someone with a local farm.

However, it is my view that this has a positive effect on the society because support for local farmers will give room to more employment opportunities in various communities and consequently reducing the crime rate. In addition the gross domestic produce of the country will increase because they will generate revenue by exporting these locally made goods to countries that need them. On the other hand, it is also important to consider the disadvantages. Government maintain bond and partnership through export and import trade and when the dependence on locally made goods increases, they have nothing to trade and this breaks the partnership leaving countries at a disadvantage.

Ultimately, an increasing number of people place more value on home made good because they lack trust for the imported ones and they are also cost a lot but a balance should be reached so that everybody can benefit from the effect of this trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the trend and whether it is positive or negative. The ideas are relevant, such as trust in local production and economic benefits. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The explanation regarding the negative impact on international trade is a bit superficial and could have been expanded with more specific examples. The position is clear throughout, but the argument could benefit from more depth to reach a higher band. Overall, the response covers the requirements well but lacks the detailed extension of ideas expected at the higher levels.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'Ultimately', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of local farming and the mention of 'gross domestic produce' (GDP) is slightly abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the central ideas are generally easy to follow, though the logical progression within paragraphs could be more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'patronize' and 'consequently', which are used correctly. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'unnecessary fares' instead of 'additional costs' or 'tariffs', and 'genetic food' instead of 'genetically modified food'. The phrase 'gross domestic produce' is also a misuse of the term 'Gross Domestic Product'. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the score as they show a lack of precision.

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 several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'these food' (should be 'this food' or 'these foods'), 'they are also cost a lot' (should be 'they also cost a lot'), and missing articles or incorrect prepositions. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are missing commas in complex sentences, such as after introductory phrases. The sentence structures are mostly accurate, but the frequency of minor errors prevents 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.