Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21

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)

Although it is often asserted that one should buy local products more a contrasting opinion suggests that people are more keen towards buying international goods. Despite the convenience of the latter, I firmly agree with the former view, as the demand for buying foreign items is adversely negative in two aspects firstly it decreases the value of the products that are made within the country secondly, they are very expensive so indirectly we are draining the maximum of our hard-earned money all to a foreign nation.

A paramount reason to advocate to state this approach is negative is that local manufacturers should be given a chance to show their talent and grow in the ongoing competitive industries. Somewhere deep we all know that international goods are just a hype but frankly the local products are also durable and are of good quality. For instance many dresses that have beaded work or tops that have embroidery work are manufactured in india at low cost exported to countries like US and Canada, then the brands like Suzy Sheir sell them in higher prices. So simply we should directly start valuing the local products in the first hand itself.

Another key argument in favour of this perspective is that international goods are very costly as it is imported so, people are so crazy behind the trend that they do not think twice before spending lakhs of amount for the same type of item that they can get at the half of it or even less. The real world example is India got so many herbs and natural elements that can be used to keep hair healthy and strong like hibiscus, ritha and mustard oil. But still there is a craze among the majority who will buy expensive shampoo, conditioner and hair mask that are made in Australia, Japan and other countries.

On balance, while buying branded foreign goods may seem cool and have valid considerations, there are far more positive arguments that support purchasing the affordable local items, and significantly, this carries a greater weight in lots of perspectives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for buying local and the writer's opinion on the trend. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the example regarding Indian embroidery is relevant, the explanation of why buying foreign goods is 'adversely negative' is slightly repetitive and lacks depth. The argument regarding 'lakhs of amount' is a bit informal and could have been better integrated into a broader economic discussion. To reach a higher band, ensure that each reason is fully explored with more sophisticated reasoning rather than relying on general assertions about 'hype' or 'craze'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'For instance', 'Another key argument', and 'On balance', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'A paramount reason to advocate to state this approach is negative'. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression could be smoother if the sentences were linked with more varied and sophisticated cohesive structures rather than simple connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'paramount' and 'adversely', but these are sometimes used in slightly unnatural collocations. The student relies on some informal or repetitive phrasing like 'crazy behind the trend' and 'very expensive'. To improve, the writer should focus on more precise academic collocations and avoid colloquialisms. Spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, preventing a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with article usage ('in the first hand'), prepositional phrases, and subject-verb agreement. For example, 'India got so many herbs' is informal and grammatically weak. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several run-on sentences and missing commas. While the writer attempts complex structures, they are not always error-free. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to focus on sentence construction and ensure that complex sentences are formed with greater accuracy.

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

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