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 customers are shifting to choose local goods than foreign made products. It has several reasons out of which supporting the local producers is the major one. Another reason behind that is to support the economy of their home country. Indeed, it is a positive trend that has a huge impact and benefits to sellers and residents of the local area.

One of the main reasons why people have commenced to buy locally produced goods is to support the local producers. Generally some people have a mindset that they must shop products from local producers and sellers to regulate the money in their own community, society, or country. Additionally, regular business deals between both parties enhance their relationship and build trust. This convince the loyal consumers to stick with particular producer who eventually gives them benefits like quality assurance, refund or exchange services in case of uncertainity. For example: Buying a local produced shirt worth 100 dollars, retailer will ensure to give same quality as of imported one.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 168 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay identifies reasons for buying local and expresses a positive stance, the arguments are underdeveloped. The explanation regarding economic benefits is brief, and the example provided is simplistic and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you must expand on your points with more detailed explanations and provide more comprehensive examples to fully address all parts of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'For example', but the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraph is abrupt. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that is fully supported by the subsequent sentences, creating a more cohesive and fluid argument throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some repetitive phrasing, such as 'local producers' and 'local goods'. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'commenced to buy' (which sounds unnatural in this context) and 'uncertainity' (spelling error). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations related to economics and consumer behavior, and ensure you are using words in their correct context to enhance the clarity and impact of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'shifting to choose local goods than' (should be 'rather than') and 'local produced shirt' (should be 'locally produced'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. To achieve a higher score, focus on increasing the variety of complex sentence structures and proofreading carefully to eliminate basic errors in grammar and punctuation that currently detract from the overall quality of your writing.

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

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