Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-06
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 5.5)
People of today's generation are strongly affected with the increasing trends in global fashion. Increase in usage of online shopping platforms and social media, help to keep updated regarding the changing fashion trends. There are various reasons behind this fact which I shall discuss in upcoming paragraphs.
To commence with, young generation think that following global fashion will help them in developing their personality and boost their confidence. In earlier times, fashion trends are not so much popular and not many varieties and brands are available for them. But with the changing time people loves to buy latest branded clothes available in the market. Secondly, people today want to look more superior than others, this influenced them to buy clothes as for latest global fashion. When they watch their friends or anyone wearing branded and fashionable clothes, they also wish to buy the same. Additionally, most of the people are influenced to buy the clothes and accessories as per fashion trends as they thought that it will reflect their wealth, social status and reputation in the society as well as family.
In my opinion, this has a positive development. Primarily, it helps us to enhance our personality and make us confident to talk with others with pride without making them feel shamed for following old fashion. By following the global fashion trends people of one country can learn about the cultures of other countries which is made more possible by the use of different digital apps and social media platforms. However, it sometimes may lead to excess spending of money on buying clothes as the trends are changing many fast, and people always wish to buy clothes as per the latest fashion.
To conclude with, today's world is greatly influenced by the way of dressing. Bu I can say that it is an positive development as it makes individual to look more presentable, help us to adapt the traditions of even other countries in which social media plays a significant role.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the influence of global fashion and the evaluation of whether this is positive or negative. The ideas are relevant, such as the role of social media and the desire for social status. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the second paragraph where the focus on 'branded clothes' and 'status' is revisited multiple times without adding new depth. The position is clear throughout, but the argument could be strengthened by providing more specific examples beyond general statements about 'digital apps' or 'friends'. Overall, it meets the requirements of the task but remains at a fairly general level of discussion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To commence with', 'Secondly', and 'In my opinion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Bu I can say that it is an positive development'. Referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow, though the concluding paragraph is somewhat brief and repeats points already made rather than synthesizing them effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'global fashion trends', 'online shopping platforms', and 'social status'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural word choices or collocations, such as 'make them feel shamed' instead of 'feel ashamed' or 'trends are changing many fast' instead of 'very fast'. While the meaning is always clear, the vocabulary lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('young generation think', 'fashion trends are not so much popular') and article misuse ('an positive development'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors, such as the typo 'Bu' in the conclusion. While the errors are frequent, they do not impede communication, and the reader can easily understand the intended meaning. To improve, the student should focus on verb tense consistency and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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