Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-06

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)

A noticeable preference of purchasing products manufactured natioanally against goods imported from other countries, is observed among a plethora of buyers. I have elaborated an in depth reasoning for this rising trend in the forthcoming paragraphs. Besides, a clear justification has been provided proving this development to have a positive effect on society.

To begin with, a substantial catalyst for this specific preference amongst individuals is the difference between the cost of the two divisions of products. Not only the retail price of an imported international product is scrutinized by import duties, but also with the national government sales tax making it expensive. Whereas, a product built locally has an advantage of avoiding these charges allowing it to be sold at an economical price. A prominent illustration for this is, in India if we buy the imported french Davidoff coffee as an alternative to Indian coffee brands like Nescafe, we pay a bulky premium on Davidoff in comparison to Nescafe coffee. Cost and pricing, the signigicant aspects considered while purchasing any product, if don't lie under the customer's budget, proliferate the probability that the product would not be sold.

Moreover, instant availability of any product engenders its demand in a particular loaclity. At certain times, international products have an issue of production, overhaul matters, external affairs policy changes leading to delays and unavailability. Pervasive and profound, are the impacts of this phenomenon frustrating buyers and redirecting them to the aisle that has locally produced goods instantly available to purchase. To exemplify this, dog and pet food products that are manufactured in India such as Pedigree are highly easy to buy at supermarkets, retail pet shops and on online platforms. Conversely, brands like Nature's receipe are rarely available on an online platform if an Indian pet owner wants to buy it.

Reorienting the focus to the nature of this development, there is an inextricable link of this trend to the economy of a country. If the individuals of a country follow the preference of buying national products against international, the money of the country keeps circulating in between consumers, producers and retailers instead of filling the pockets of international business owners. Besides, the government of a nation saves heavily on import dues that have to be paid to the other countries ecouraging the businesses, manufacturers and farmers of the nation.

To sum up, an imported product has a marginal selling ratio owing to its associated prices that consumers often avoid to pay. Subsequently, the unavailibilty of the imported goods on certain events exacerbates its probability of being sold against the local products. As a result, this overall development strengthens the backbone of a country that is the economic health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the reasons for buying local goods and evaluating whether this trend is positive. The position is clear throughout the text. However, while the first reason regarding cost differences is well-supported with the example of Davidoff versus Nescafe coffee, the second reason regarding availability is slightly less developed and borders on generalization. Ideas are generally relevant, but pushing them towards deeper analytical depth would elevate the score further. The response clearly meets the core requirements of addressing the prompt fully, while still showing room for fuller expansion of all supporting points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introduction through the body paragraphs and into the conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with distinct sections covering the reasons and the evaluation of the trend. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'Reorienting the focus', but referencing is occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'the difference between the cost of the two divisions of products'. The organization is clear enough to guide the reader successfully, though smoother transitional phrases would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

An adequate range of vocabulary is used for the task, attempting less common items such as 'plethora', 'scrutinized', 'proliferate', and 'inextricable link'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'natioanally' instead of nationally, 'loaclity' instead of locality, 'receipe' instead of recipe, and 'ecouraging' instead of encouraging. Collocations are generally acceptable, but minor lexical slips indicate a struggle with precision. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate meaning clearly, but spelling and precision issues prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at varied structures such as 'Not only the retail price of an imported international product is scrutinized... but also with...'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including awkward phrasing and subject-verb inversion issues like 'Not only the retail price... is scrutinized', and minor preposition errors. However, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear throughout. The control over complex structures is developing, aligning well with a solid performance at this level.

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