Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-16

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)

In recent times, people around the world preferring their own community goods rather than imported goods, this sparked the heated debate among some people to buy which goods who hold the importance. I this essay, I shall discuss the overemphasis of imported goods despite of buying in their local area.

I strongly advocate from the former point of view is that due to increase in overconsumption of products whether is it related to groceries or any imported items people are giving importance to local members, due to its quality, easy to reach and less expensive. For example, a farmer who cultivated the land to get this field blooming knows its wroth. And he want to get the price for what he deserved instead of importing it which not only lead a prolong period, but also lead to loss if the crop damages. So, people are inclined towards less expensive and great quality goods.

The main reason why people are not buying imported good because it is time consuming, over the price, and sometimes the quality is not matching the standard of it. For example, if a women buys a luxurious bag online, she needs to wait for its arrival which goes up to a week or so. However, sometime it might came defective which again make a hurdle to return it again instead they are opting for local goods which in my opinion a great option.

From my perspective people are putting a positive trend in gaining the economy of their own country which is em powerful. They are ample of goods to buy but helping the local community is the outmost responsibility as a human.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for buying local and the opinion on whether it is a positive trend. However, the development is inconsistent. While the reasons (quality, cost, convenience) are mentioned, they are not fully extended or supported with clear, logical arguments. The introduction is somewhat confusing, and the position is not clearly stated at the outset. The essay tends to over-generalize, and the link between the examples and the main arguments is occasionally weak, such as the farmer example which lacks clarity regarding the economic impact.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing and unclear transitions. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as 'I this essay' instead of 'In this essay' or 'due to its quality' which lacks a clear antecedent. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the flow of ideas. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks a strong thematic focus, leading to a somewhat disjointed reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally limited and repetitive. There are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'em powerful' (empowering), 'wroth' (worth), and 'over the price' (overpriced). While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'overconsumption' and 'imported goods', the overall range is insufficient to convey complex ideas with precision. The errors in word formation and collocation occasionally cause the reader to pause, though the general meaning remains understandable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently marred by grammatical errors. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement, tense consistency (e.g., 'it might came defective'), and sentence fragments. Punctuation is also problematic, with several run-on sentences and missing commas. While the meaning is usually clear, the frequency of errors is high, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The control of grammar is inconsistent throughout the text.

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

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