Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-19

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)

There is an ongoing trend regarding goods purchase, people are choosing to purchase their locally produced goods rather than import from another country. I strongly believe that this has a positive impact on a country because it contributes to the growth of the economy through tax and it is also affordable to every individuals.

One main reason is that it contribute to the development of the country through tax, several individuals who produce or manufacture peishable or unperishable items expected to pay tax on each goods likewise the retailer and final consumer. Each person buys a product and pay tax on what ever they purchase. Therefore this will impact the economy because those tax imposed on those goods will be allocated to construct good road, electricity and also improved the railway trail for the citizen. For instance, when citizens pay tax to the government it will enable the government to provide basic facilities in the country such as public transport .

Another compelling reason is it promotes those product or goods, and give it global visibility, for instance, when a tourist visits a country and the only products or goods he can get is the locally made product, he will be forced to buy them and if they are good, he will also recommend it to his friends and families abroad, thereby giving such product enough advertisement internationally.

Overall, I believe this trend is advantageous to both individuals and the country because it promotes the products globally and also it provides economic benefits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear overall position that buying local goods is positive, and you offer relevant reasons: tax revenue may support public services, while tourists can introduce local products to overseas markets. However, the response only partly develops the task. The reasons for consumers’ increasing preference are not fully explained: the claim that local goods are “affordable to every individuals” appears in the introduction but is not supported later. The tax argument also needs clearer explanation, since consumers may pay tax on purchases of imported goods too. Your tourism example is relevant, but it is hypothetical and would be stronger with a specific illustration. Develop each reason more precisely and connect it directly to why consumers choose local products.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a concluding summary. Linking expressions such as “One main reason,” “For instance,” and “Overall” help readers follow the main direction. However, progression within some sentences is less clear. The sentence beginning “One main reason is that it contribute…” joins several claims with a comma, making the relationship between tax payments and economic development difficult to follow. “Therefore” also introduces a broad list of public improvements without a clear step-by-step link. The second body paragraph moves from promotion to tourist purchases and then recommendations, but could explain these connections more smoothly. Use clearer sentence boundaries and refer back explicitly to the consumer’s choice.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “locally produced goods,” “manufacture,” “retailer,” “global visibility,” and “economic benefits.” These choices show some range beyond basic everyday language. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which limits precision. For example, “goods purchase” is unnatural, “peishable or unperishable items” is not the appropriate contrast, and “railway trail” does not express the intended infrastructure clearly. “Promotes those product or goods” repeats the same idea and has an awkward form. Spelling errors such as “peishable” also affect accuracy. Aim for natural combinations such as “locally made products,” “perishable and non-perishable goods,” and “promote products internationally.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a conditional structure in “if they are good, he will also recommend it,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. However, control is uneven, particularly in longer sentences, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas harder to follow. Examples include “it contribute” instead of “it contributes,” “every individuals,” and “Each person buys a product and pay tax,” where agreement is inconsistent. The opening sentence joins two independent clauses with a comma, and the sentence beginning “One main reason” has a similar problem. There are also errors with articles and plurals, as in “on each goods.” Practise checking subject–verb agreement and dividing long sentences into complete, clearly punctuated clauses.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.