Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-04

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)

It is fact that people love to purchase goods from the local areas rather than spending on imported goods. There are numerous reasons behind this trend . As far my knowledge its has both impact but the positives are more in this trend . In this essay in upcoming paragraphs i will state both positives and negatives with providing some examples.

Firstly , people spend more on local goods for their accessibility and have some knowledge about the producers. As buyers whenever buy any good for their home for example tv, fridge or furniture first of all they want to visit in person there so they can not be scammed by the products quality , price and brand . which can not be seen sometimes in the imported goods. Moreover, consumers want to minimise profit of their local sellers rather than buying from other sellers who deliver their goods to other countries to make more profit.

On the other side this trend have some negative points as there are some places in the world where specific items are available in terms of brand for example China made more electronic devices that some times are not produced in bulk in India in this case if local buyers will not show interest to buy more frequent then may they can stop import goods due to profiting rate low.

In conclusion, buying local goods are the best options when its available for maximising local sellers profit and by checking their quality , however, its crucial to have some imported goods in the local market which are not display in the local stores.

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 of ideas is limited. For instance, the explanation regarding why people prefer local goods is somewhat repetitive, focusing mainly on trust and quality. The discussion of the negative aspects is underdeveloped and lacks clarity, particularly the argument about international trade and profit rates. While a position is stated, the supporting arguments lack depth and specific examples that would elevate the response. To improve, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations and clearer logical links between the reasons and the consequences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'On the other side' is used to introduce the negative perspective, but the transition between ideas within paragraphs is sometimes abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'which can not be seen sometimes in the imported goods', where the antecedent is ambiguous. The flow of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, making the progression feel less than smooth. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'things', and 'places'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'profiting rate low' instead of 'low profit margins' and 'not display in the local stores' instead of 'not displayed'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and the presence of errors in word formation prevent a higher score. Expanding your range to include more topic-specific collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('this trend have'), missing articles, and awkward sentence construction ('As far my knowledge its has both impact'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces before commas and periods. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over complex structures. Focusing on basic sentence accuracy and proofreading for common errors like verb tense and article usage will help improve your score.

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