Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-07

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)

In today's era, global fashion has evolved in numerous ways and has significantly influenced how people dress in their daily lives. While I agree that this development has had several positive effects on society, its detrimental consequences should not be overlooked.

Thanks to technological advancements, particularly the internet, fashion trends from around the world have become widely accessible through platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Brands increasingly collaborate with influencers to promote their products internationally, allowing fashion trends to spread rapidly from one country to another. Moreover, the fashion industry has created substantial employment opportunities. For instance, thousands of jobs are generated annually for designers, manufacturers and marketing professionals. Young people are also a major target market, and companies often use their preferences to establish new trends.

However, this development also has several negative consequences. The greater the demand for fashionable clothing, the more textile waste is generated, which can contribute to environmental degradation. In addition, people may purchase clothes that they do not actually need because of constant exposure to advertising and social-media trends, resulting in unnecessary expenditure. More importantly, the growing popularity of global fashion may gradually undermine traditional clothing styles, causing younger generations to lose interest in their cultural heritage.

In conclusion, although global fashion has brought economic and social benefits, its environmental and cultural consequences cannot be ignored. Governments, businesses and consumers should therefore adopt a more balanced and sustainable approach to fashion

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: the influence of global fashion and whether this is a positive or negative development. However, the response is 237 words, falling short of the 250-word minimum requirement. This under-length impacts the depth of development. While the ideas are relevant, the discussion on how fashion influences lives is somewhat brief, and the conclusion is abrupt. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples—for instance, explaining exactly how influencers change consumer psychology—to ensure a more comprehensive exploration of the topic and meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as the role of technology or the environmental impact. Cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'However', and 'In addition' are used effectively to guide the reader through your arguments. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the paragraphing is appropriate. To improve, ensure that your transitions between sentences are even more varied to avoid a slightly mechanical feel, and ensure that the final paragraph provides a more substantial summary of the points discussed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task, such as 'technological advancements', 'detrimental consequences', 'environmental degradation', and 'cultural heritage'. The word choice is generally precise and fits the context well. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey your ideas clearly. To move into the higher bands, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions related to the topic, such as 'fast fashion' or 'consumerist culture', to show a more flexible and nuanced command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use conditional structures ('The greater the demand... the more textile waste is generated') and complex sentences with relative clauses effectively. The grammar is generally accurate, with very few errors that impede communication. Punctuation is used correctly throughout. To achieve a higher score, aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice constructions or more varied subordinate clauses, while maintaining the high level of accuracy you have already demonstrated.

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

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