Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-08

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)

The use of locally produced items over imported products has become increasingly common in recent years. In my opinion, this is largely a positive outcome because of rising import costs and quality of the goods.

One important positive consequence is increasing import duties. In other words, taxes, tariffs, shipping charges and currency changes can make imported commodities more expensive. For example, an I-Phone costs more than a one lack when currency is converted into Indian rupees, whereas In USD its only 80 thousand rupees without any duties and shipping costs. Therefore, people are buying phones from Local Brands in India.

Another significant effect is supporting local businesses and employment. Moreover, governments are increasingly promoting local production through subsidies as well as campaigns. For instance, during covid India started a campaign to stop people from buying products from Chinese vendors as this was a big step towards helping residents who were struggling with financial difficulties. Consequently, It reduced the import of Chinese goods in India dramatically.

Overall, I consider use of locally sourced products to be a positive development because it allows us to grow our own economy and save money on the costs associated with imports.

AI examiner evaluation

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 (import costs and supporting local business) and state your position, the arguments are underdeveloped. The example regarding the iPhone is slightly confusing in its explanation of currency conversion, and the discussion on government campaigns could be expanded with more analysis of the long-term impact. To improve, you must elaborate on your points with more depth and ensure you meet the length requirement to allow for a full exploration of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In other words', 'For example', and 'Consequently' to link sentences. However, the transitions between some ideas feel a bit mechanical. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, but the overall structure is limited by the brevity of the response. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is more fluid and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'commodities', 'tariffs', and 'subsidies', which is positive. However, there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'one lack' (which should be 'one lakh') and 'I-Phone'. The vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, and there is limited use of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary and focusing on more precise word choices would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'In USD its only 80 thousand' (missing apostrophe in 'it's') and 'use of locally sourced products' (missing article 'the'). Punctuation is occasionally inconsistent, particularly with capitalization after commas. The grammatical control is sufficient for basic communication, but to achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate more consistent accuracy in complex structures and pay closer attention to minor errors in articles and punctuation.

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

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