Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-25

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)

Increasing number of consumers are choosing to buy goods from their local area. This essay will discuss the main reasons that consumers are buying from local area, rather than imported goods.

There are several reasons to buy goods from their local city. One of the main reason is that it will increase the chance of local employments. Now a days, people have lack of time and avoid pollution, they preferred to buy goods from local area. For example, recently my brother has bought iPhone 17 plus from his city rather than import from abroad. He get it in cheaper price with faster delievery. However, he could wait longer period of time if he bought from abroad.

Overall, I believe that this is a positive trend. First, greater demand for local products can strengthen the economy by providing income and employment opportunities for local producers. Second, purchasing locally can reduce the distance goods need to travel, potentially lowering transportation-related carbon emissions. For instance, if consumers buy vegetables from nearby farms instead of products transported from another country, fewer resources may be required for transportation and refrigeration. Although imported goods can offer greater variety and sometimes lower prices, these advantages do not necessarily outweigh the economic and environmental benefits of supporting local production.

In conclusion, consumers are increasingly buying local goods because they want to support their communities, obtain fresh products and reduce the environmental impact of transportation. In my view, this is a positive development because it can strengthen local economies while also contributing to more environmentally sustainable consumption.

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 evaluation of the trend. However, the development is uneven. The example provided regarding an 'iPhone 17 plus' is illogical, as such high-tech consumer electronics are rarely manufactured locally, which undermines the credibility of the argument. While the second paragraph provides stronger, more relevant points regarding economic and environmental benefits, the initial reasoning is somewhat superficial. To reach a higher band, ensure that examples are realistic and that the explanation of why these reasons lead to the trend is more thoroughly explored.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. The use of cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Second', and 'In conclusion' helps guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally weak, such as the abrupt shift between the personal anecdote about the brother and the broader economic arguments. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal flow within the second paragraph could be improved by better linking the environmental benefits to the overall conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'environmentally sustainable consumption' and 'transportation-related carbon emissions'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'local employments' (should be 'local employment') and 'import from abroad' (should be 'imported from abroad'). To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('One of the main reason is') and tense inconsistencies ('He get it'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction that occasionally disrupt the flow. The range of structures is sufficient to communicate the message, but the frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.

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