Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-04

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Many aspects of the way people dress today are influenced by global fashion trends.

How has global fashion become such a strong influence on people's lives? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.5)

These days, people's dressing habits are influenced significantly by global fashion trends due to globalization and the development of advertising. Despite the fact that people are spending more money even on unnecessary items, it is an overall positive development.

Because of the use of the internet, countries are becoming increasingly interconnected as well as their citizens. Once a fashionable outfit is recorded and posted on social media, it may go viral within a few days and everybody starts imitating the same way of wearing clothes. In addition to that, the dominant Western culture plays an important role as the majority of people have been influenced by hip-hop culture heavily, leading them to dress up like celebrities they appreciate. Furthermore, a variety of advertisements are ubiquitous in the general public's everyday lives, which are designed to draw individuals' attention to purchasing costly items, especially those global brands.

In order to analyse this development thoroughly, we cannot overlook its drawbacks, such as over-consumption. An increasing number of people are spending money on clothes and other items that they do not really need. For example, on a second-hand market website called XianYun, there are numerous luxurious items on sale because their owners can only wear them on special occasions. That waste of resources, though, can still be made up as people at least can learn a life lesson after experiencing an impulsive purchase. Regarding the positive side of this development, we must realise the significance of the circulation of resources and personal growth. Firstly, while buyers are spending their money on products from different countries, the taxes produced from this process can be invested in optimizing infrastructure, namely education and healthcare. Secondly, while people are trying to catch up with the global trend, they naturally take in information and aesthetics from other countries, enabling them to see the big picture.

In conclusion, the reason why more people are following global fashion trends is that they are influenced by the internet and advertisements. Even though this trend might cause the general public to spend more money without realizing it, it is still a positive trend as it can generate significant revenue for governments and help personal growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying the drivers of global fashion (internet, social media, Western culture, advertising) and providing a clear stance on whether it is a positive or negative development. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the discussion on the economic benefits of global trade and the personal growth associated with cultural exchange. The argument is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more nuanced examples or explore the 'negative' side with slightly more depth, as the current counter-argument is somewhat briefly dismissed as a 'life lesson'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is smooth. The student uses a variety of cohesive devices such as 'In addition to that', 'Furthermore', 'In order to analyse', and 'Firstly/Secondly' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the causes from the evaluation of the trend. The referencing is generally clear, though some transitions could be slightly more sophisticated to avoid a mechanical feel. Overall, the flow of the argument is easy to follow and coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'increasingly interconnected', 'ubiquitous', 'over-consumption', and 'optimizing infrastructure' show a good command of academic language. There are occasional minor inaccuracies in collocation or word choice, such as 'imitating the same way of wearing clothes' (which could be more naturally phrased as 'imitating the same fashion styles'). However, the vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task and allows for clear communication of complex ideas. The student successfully avoids repetition and uses a range of topic-specific terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures, including conditional-like constructions and relative clauses. Most sentences are error-free, and the grammar does not impede communication. There are some minor slips, such as 'the taxes produced from this process can be invested' (where 'generated' might be more precise than 'produced') and 'the majority of people have been influenced by hip-hop culture heavily' (where the adverb placement is slightly awkward). Despite these minor issues, the control over punctuation and sentence structure is strong, and the student demonstrates a solid grasp of complex grammatical forms.

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.