Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17

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 6.5)

In this contemporary world, the number of customers buying products from their local producers is growing instead of buying foreign goods. This trend has both positive and negative consequences, which will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

On the one hand, people will get fresh and without chemically produced goods, which is really beneficial for their health, and life expectancy could also grow as people will not become ill. Along with that, if people remain physically fit, their mental well-being would be in perfect condition, and skills will also tend to grow. For instance, people who live in rural areas and consume dairy products that are freshly made by their local producer are generally seen as more physically active. Furthermore, new jobs can be created, as it would need more people like farmers; as a result, career opportunities will be more in the environmental sector also.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks also. The primary reason for that is that locally produced products are not enough for everyone in the area, as the demand is higher and supply is lower because it takes time to grow fresh vegetables and fruits. For example, people usually buy goods in bundles, as in this busy world they usually don't have time to shop every day. Consequently, they have to buy imported goods. Moreover, the price is generally higher than that of imported goods because local supply is limited, as it is time-consuming.

In conclusion, while people will get freshly produced goods, which is essential for their physical and mental health, those goods could be costly and often not available in the stores. So, some positive aspects can be seen in this trend but there are some notable drawbacks also, which cannot be neglected.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: it discusses the reasons why consumers buy local goods (health benefits, local job creation, supply limitations, and pricing) and considers whether this is a positive or negative trend. The position is clear throughout the essay, establishing that there are both advantages and drawbacks. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or veer into tangential points, such as the claim that mental well-being leads to growing skills. While the prompt asks for reasons and an evaluation of the trend, the explanation of reasons occasionally conflates advantages and disadvantages with the underlying motivations of consumers. Nevertheless, the main parts of the task are adequately covered, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is coherent overall with a clear, logical organisation. It employs a traditional four-paragraph structure with a clear introduction and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'Consequently'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes a bit mechanical or imprecise, as seen in sentences like 'The primary reason for that is that...', which creates a slightly repetitive phrasing pattern. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate advantages from drawbacks, ensuring the overall flow remains easy to follow, supporting a Band 6.5 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'contemporary world', 'life expectancy', and 'environmental sector'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'without chemically produced goods' instead of 'free from chemical production', and 'buy goods in bundles' rather than 'in bulk'. Repetition of basic words like 'goods', 'people', and 'products' also occurs frequently. These lexical limitations and occasional awkward phrasing place the vocabulary performance firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional and relative clauses (e.g., '...if people remain physically fit, their mental well-being would be in perfect condition...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as 'consumers are increasingly choosing to buy goods that are produced... rather than imported goods' (minor stylistic clunkiness) and 'prices is generally higher' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors do occur, they rarely impede overall communication, warranting a Band 6.0.

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