Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-03

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 5.0)

Consumers prefer to buy products which are produced in the local area rather than imported goods because there are so many differences between local and imported goods, and if they buy goods from their surroundings they are helping their local people to grow their business. As imported goods, for example packed food, are more likely to have more preservatives than local goods.

In this paragraph, I can give you more reasons for that, as when we import goods from different countries or cities, they cost a lot of money to import those goods, and because of that we in local goods are more expensive than those which are bought from the local area, as that reduces the cost of transportation and taxes and all. Secondly, as I mentioned before about the quality, the imported products quality we dont know how it will be, as we are not able to touch, smell or see son when it comes to quality the consumers prefer the locals because the assure about the quality and the trust they have built over the years.

And that has some pros and cons also, so some of the pros are that there are some products which are not available locally which they can import from outside, and some of the product as some of the time more costly in local rather than imported from different cities.

For example, in our back country, there are so many things like spices and all the made locally at home and are natural, but here in Canada everything is imported and has a different taste, so I prefer its a positive trend to choose local rather than imported.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main parts of the prompt by touching upon reasons for buying local goods, such as lower transportation costs and perceived better quality, and considers whether this is a positive trend. However, the position is not always clear, and the ideas remain somewhat limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion on the pros and cons is brief and tangled with run-on phrasing, such as mentioning that some imported products are not available locally and that items can sometimes be more costly locally. To move towards a higher level, the writer needs to extend each main point with fully explained supporting details and clear, distinct arguments rather than moving abruptly between ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some basic organisation in the response, but it lacks a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is handled awkwardly, with the writer inserting conversational framing such as 'In this paragraph, I can give you more reasons for that' rather than letting the structure flow naturally. Furthermore, cohesive devices are often inadequate or repetitive, with excessive reliance on words like 'and', 'as', and 'so'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as 'that has some pros and cons also' without a precise antecedent. To achieve better cohesion, the writer should use a wider variety of appropriate linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a singular, unified focus without meta-commentary.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, but the range is limited and features noticeable errors. The writer attempts some topical vocabulary such as 'preservatives', 'transportation', and 'imported', but word choice and collocation are frequently imprecise, as seen in expressions like 'we in local goods are more expensive' or 'the imported products quality we dont know how it will be'. There are also minor spelling and punctuation slips, such as missing apostrophes in 'dont'. To improve lexical resource, the writer should incorporate less common lexical items with greater precision and pay closer attention to natural collocations and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a limited range of structures, relying heavily on long, convoluted run-on sentences connected by conjunctions. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to frequent errors such as fragmented clauses, dangling modifiers, and issues with prepositions inside grammatical patterns, as demonstrated in 'so when it comes to quality the consumers prefer the locals because the assure about the quality'. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader in parsing the intended meaning. To progress, the writer should focus on breaking thoughts down into shorter, grammatically sound sentences and master basic clause structures before attempting more complex patterns.

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