Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

With the changing trend, it is often notices that some shoppers are increasingly preferring to purchase locally produced goods over imported ones. From my perspective, it is positive development as these would lead to an increase in local employment and would be environmentally friendly.

Firstly, the imported products are sometimes of lower quality and are not often fresh. This is because many internationally sourced goods, like fruits and vegetables, are generally frozen and not fresh to maintain their lifespan. On the one hand, foreign goods are less costly due to mass production, but on the other hand, locally manufactured items are of better quality. For instance, recent studies have shown that many foreign companies produce a wide variety of goods using cheaper pesticides and low-cost production methods in order to grow crops quickly and reduce expenses. As a result, consumers now prefer buying domestically produced goods over imported ones.

Secondly, due to more adaptability to the locally sourced goods, it has led to surge in local employment. The skilled artisans from the rural area are getting a new identity and recognition. Moreover, it would contribute to the decrease or carbon footprint as the items are locally manufactured and do not need to be shipped, which leads to less consumption of fuel. Furthermore, this would also help small businesses to grow and support their national economy.

In conclusion, the growing trend for home-grown products is mainly due to the increase in local jobs and environmental conditions and the desire to support the local economy. I believe that this is a positive trend as it is benefiting the locals and the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend and the evaluation of whether it is positive or negative. The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as quality concerns, employment, and environmental impact. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the environmental point is well-supported, the argument regarding quality could be more nuanced, as some imported goods are of high quality. The response covers all requirements, but the depth of analysis is consistent with a solid, rather than fully extended, discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, and the referencing in the second paragraph ('due to more adaptability to the locally sourced goods') is a bit awkward and unclear. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical, and paragraphing is used effectively to structure the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'locally produced', 'internationally sourced', 'mass production', and 'carbon footprint'. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'due to more adaptability to the locally sourced goods', which sounds unnatural. While the range is sufficient to convey the message clearly, it lacks the sophistication or precise idiomatic control required for higher bands. The spelling is accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'it is often notices' (should be 'noticed'), 'it is positive development' (missing article 'a'), and 'decrease or carbon footprint' (should be 'decrease in'). Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the errors do not impede communication. The control of punctuation is generally good, and the sentence variety is sufficient to support the argument effectively.

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

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