Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

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)

Some consumers are increasingly buying the products that are produced in there local areas instead of imported goods. I think it is a positive trend and there can be many reasons for that. So i will explain all the reasons in the upcoming paragraphs.

According to me the first reason could be they buy what the see for example i would like to purchase the vegetable that is produced in front of me rather than the veggies that i have not seen getting produced. This thing creates a homely kind of feeling and also the people know that it is good for them because it is from their town , state or a country.

Another reason could be the price difference the product I will be buying from my local area will be 30 to 40 percent cheaper than the imported one because when products are coming from other country the they become expensive.

On the other hand it can also be a negative trend accpording to some people or mainly thr goverment because they did not get any profit in local products and also they are not able to make good realtions with other countries government.

One more reason and the effect this can cause that businesses can also go in loss if their products will not get imported in other countries which can affect the countries economy maybe.

According to me it has more positive effects instead of the negative so i think we should use local products more than the imported one to support local people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for buying local and the evaluation of the trend. However, the development is quite limited. The reasons provided, such as 'seeing' the production of vegetables or price differences, are somewhat simplistic and lack depth. The discussion on the negative aspects is also underdeveloped, focusing on government profits and trade relations without clear explanation. To reach a higher band, you should expand your arguments with more detailed examples and logical analysis. The position is clear, but the overall depth of the response is insufficient for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very basic and sometimes repetitive. Phrases like 'Another reason could be' and 'On the other hand' are used, but the transition between ideas is often mechanical. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect sentences and ideas more fluidly. Additionally, the paragraphing is somewhat inconsistent, with some very short paragraphs that could be better integrated into a more cohesive argument. Improving the variety of cohesive devices would significantly enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on common, everyday words like 'good', 'things', and 'products'. There are also some errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'accpording' and 'realtions'. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to economics, trade, and consumer behavior. Using more precise synonyms and collocations would demonstrate a better command of the language and help you move beyond a basic level of expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the government... they did not get'), missing articles, and punctuation errors, such as the lack of capitalization for 'i' and improper comma usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be distracting. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and attempt to vary your sentence structures by using more complex clauses correctly.

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

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