Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-31
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)
Nowadays growing number of people are prefering goods produced locally to international products. This choice is influenced by the quality and price of local products along with the sense of freshness associated with local products. I firmly believe that it is a positive development as it help in economical development of country and managing unemployment issue.
The primary reason for this preference is the affordable price and superior quality of product produced locally. As local manufacturer have advantage of not paying international taxes, allowing better control over price and quality of the product. For instance a local produce do not have to pay any import charges thus giving them better control over price and allow them to improve their product's quality. If local products are cheaper and better in quality customers will naturaly gravitate towards them instead of international goods.
In my view this a positive trend as it promotes local economy.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you identify reasons for the trend (price and quality) and state your position (positive), the arguments are underdeveloped. The explanation regarding import taxes is a good start, but it lacks depth and specific examples. To reach a higher band, you must expand on your points with more detailed explanations and examples. Because the essay is substantially under-length, it cannot fully address all parts of the task in the required depth, leading to a lower score in this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into short paragraphs, which helps with the overall structure. However, the progression of ideas is limited by the brevity of the text. You use some cohesive devices like 'For instance' and 'In my view', but the transitions between sentences are sometimes mechanical. The paragraphing is present but insufficient to demonstrate a logical flow of a full-length essay. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the topic, such as 'economical development', 'unemployment issue', and 'gravitate'. However, the range is quite limited, and there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'local produce' (which should be 'local producers') and 'prefering' (spelled 'preferring'). The repetition of 'local products' throughout the text suggests a limited vocabulary. To improve, try to use synonyms and more precise academic collocations to express your ideas with greater variety and sophistication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an ability to use some complex sentence structures, such as conditional clauses ('If local products are cheaper...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('local manufacturer have', 'it help in') and missing articles ('development of country'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas after introductory phrases. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the clarity of your writing. Increasing your control over basic grammar and expanding your range of complex structures will help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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