Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The growing trend of buying locally sourced products has attracted considerable attention. In my opinion this is primarily a positive development because of high import costs and supporting local businesses. This essay will discuss the possible reasons behind this trend in the paragraphs below followed by a conclusion.

There are several reasons why residents are more inclined towards purchasing products from locally owned businesses. The main reason is rising costs related to imported goods. In other words, whenever a commodity is bought from a foreign supplier, taxes, shipping charges and tariffs are imposed on the item. This increases the price dramatically. For example, a german car imported in India costs two times more than the actual price.

Another contributing factor is that individuals are willing to support domestic vendors instead of international suppliers. This makes them more competitive in terms of quality and freshness of the product. For instance, during the covid, India imposed restrictions on buying from Chinese stores to support small shops in India, in the time of pandemic, which lead to drastic decline in the imports from China. Consequently, Till this date residents of India are not willing to purchase Chinese goods, and want to source from small businesses because the quality is better, durable and reliable.

In my opinion, the reasons mentioned above lead us towards a positive outcome of economical and sustainable growth.

In conclusion, the development of local production and purchasing is largely driven by the fact that many people are now focusing on the financial as well as economic aspects of their countries, and I consider this a positive sign of progress.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the trend and the writer's opinion on whether it is positive or negative. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the reasons regarding cost and supporting local businesses are relevant, the explanation of the 'positive' aspect is quite brief and lacks depth. The example regarding India and China is specific but slightly over-generalised in its claim about current consumer sentiment. To reach a higher band, the essay should provide more nuanced analysis of why this trend is positive, perhaps touching on environmental benefits or community cohesion, rather than just repeating the initial points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In other words', 'For example', and 'Consequently', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, with the third paragraph being very short. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the link between the second body paragraph and the conclusion could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences could be better connected to improve the overall flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'commodity', 'tariffs', and 'domestic vendors'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'Till this date' (should be 'To this date') and 'drastic decline in the imports' (should be 'a drastic decline'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Expanding the range of synonyms and idiomatic expressions would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'a german car' (should be 'a German car'), 'during the covid' (should be 'during the COVID-19 pandemic'), and 'which lead to' (should be 'which led to'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor issues with article usage and verb tense consistency. The writer demonstrates enough control to communicate effectively, but the frequency of these minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band for grammatical accuracy.

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

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