Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
Many people are choosing to get locally produced products rather than imported ones. There are many reasons associated with this trend, such as availability, logistic and lower prices, which provides convenience to local people.
First of all, local products are easily available for cheaper price because of production done in nearby areas, which significantly reduces transportation cost as well as import duties paid during import. For example, in India many car models are made locally and sold right away in the market. While compared to cars manufactured outside of India are very expensive due to twice the amount of tax is to be paid while shipping. Moreover, when these cars are not readily available, the customers need to order them specially with higher prices as well as pay extra for transportation involved. This adds up the problems associated with logistics involved in transport.
Furthermore, employment opportunities are improved for the residents when items are build and assembled within the country. For instance, recently in USA they increased tariffs on imports because their goal is to force people buy local products and increase productions of goods within America. They started building manufacturing plants, providing more job opportunities to work and help the economy grow; the money flows more within the country instead of sending them abroad.
In conclusion, I would like to say that the trend of buying things made locally is positively improving the state of many countries, with employment for the residents, lower market prices and financial dependency on local residents.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend and whether it is positive or negative. The reasons provided—cost-effectiveness and employment—are relevant and supported by examples, such as the automotive industry in India and US trade policy. However, the development is somewhat limited; the explanation of why this is a positive trend is brief and could be more deeply explored. The position is clear throughout, but the argument would benefit from more nuanced analysis of potential downsides to provide a more balanced perspective, which is often expected at higher band levels.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences, such as 'This adds up the problems associated with logistics involved in transport', are slightly clunky and could be better integrated into the preceding argument to improve the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific terminology like 'import duties', 'tariffs', and 'manufacturing plants'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'logistic' (should be 'logistics'), 'items are build' (should be 'built'), and 'financial dependency on local residents' (which is unclear in this context). The range is sufficient for the task, but lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms ('items are build'), subject-verb agreement, and article usage ('in USA', 'the money flows... instead of sending them'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'While compared to cars manufactured outside of India are very expensive'. These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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