Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-20

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)

Today I am going to discuss about why some costumers are buying local products rather than the imported ones.In recent years people are buying local products more because it will improve overall country’s economy.

Now consumers are choosing to buy from the people who lived nearby and doing the business to make them financially Independent and build the relation. If someone will buy from local vendors it will helpful for both of them.The buyers will get the product on cheaper prices and if they become regular costumers they will get discounts too.On the other hand, local businesses man will get the costumers which is helpful to grow their business.

If I am talking about the beauty products then each area has different air quality and weather.So local people who run their businesses in this field will know about the problems of the skin which is affected by the weather and they will focus on that problem and will make the products regarding to that.So if people will buy those products it will improve their skin conditions.In addition to this I have noticed that local people focus on natural products rather than using chemicals which is beneficial for the consumers.

In the food business international businesses uses more preservatives to improve their shelf lives and palm oil which is harmful for the health .Local ladies who runs their food business uses more reliable products which might be helpful for the buyers.

Overall, I would like to say that it is positive trend that some people are buying regional products which is improving personal as well as country,s economy.

AI examiner evaluation

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 of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument regarding beauty products is quite specific and lacks a broader context, while the point about food businesses relies on generalizations about 'local ladies' and 'international businesses'. To reach a higher band, you should provide more balanced, analytical arguments that explore the economic or environmental implications in greater depth. The position is clear, but the supporting points could be more robustly developed to fully satisfy the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In addition to this', 'On the other hand'). Some transitions between sentences feel abrupt, such as the jump from the introduction to the body paragraphs. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring to 'the people' or 'the business'. Improving the flow between sentences and using a wider variety of linking words would enhance the logical progression of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You frequently use basic terms like 'good', 'helpful', and 'business'. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'businesses man' instead of 'business owners' and 'regarding to that' instead of 'tailored to that'. While the meaning is clear throughout, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common or idiomatic language. Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary would significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'international businesses uses'), article usage (e.g., 'improve overall country’s economy'), and punctuation errors (e.g., 'country,s'). While these errors do not prevent communication, they occur consistently enough to limit the score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and attempt to use more varied complex sentence structures with greater precision.

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

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