Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-11

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 the 21st century, we are living in the most advanced globalized era, meaning a new day, a new revolution. It is certainly true that global fashion trends are now influencing how individuals dress. In my opinion, it is a positive development. Both aspects are elaborated in my further paragraphs.

To initiate with, there are ample reasons to support this that cannot be ignored. With increasing globalisation, people are getting aware of different global fashion brands known popularly. Further, these fashion trends help people around the world to know about different cultures across the globe and their historical significance. Moreover, many students are now shifting abroad for their higher studies, and adapting themselves according to the environment is a necessity. For instance, nowadays, Korean fashion wear is booming, mainly because of its comfortable fit and aesthetic look. Also, it provides human beings working in companies with multiple options for formal wear.

On the contrary, it is a well-known fact that few people still believe that this is a negative development. For example, India is a country with diverse regions, where each state has its own way of styling its outfits. Every fit that they carry conveys the history of why it is worn in a particular way and since when people wore it.

Conclusively, I assert that both views are admissible to some extent. It is evident that culture does impact our clothing, but in recent times, how people dress themselves shows their personality. Hence, I assert that global fashion trends are a good way to carry one's personality.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for the influence of global fashion and providing an opinion on whether it is positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'Korean fashion' is mentioned but not deeply explored in terms of its global impact. The discussion on the negative side is also quite brief and lacks a strong, cohesive counter-argument. While a position is clear, the supporting points could be more thoroughly extended to reach a higher band. The conclusion is a bit contradictory, as it acknowledges both views but does not fully reconcile them with the initial stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'To initiate with', 'Moreover', and 'On the contrary' are used to signal transitions between ideas. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. The progression of ideas within paragraphs is generally clear, though the link between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Referencing is mostly clear, but the flow between the second and third paragraphs is somewhat abrupt, as the transition from global trends to local Indian traditions lacks a strong connecting thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at using less common vocabulary, such as 'globalized era', 'historical significance', and 'admissible'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances where word choice could be more precise, such as 'provide human beings working in companies with multiple options', which sounds slightly unnatural. The repetition of 'assert' and 'fashion trends' indicates a need for a wider range of synonyms to improve the sophistication of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'support this that cannot be ignored' is awkward, and 'people are getting aware' should be 'becoming aware'. There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. The control over punctuation is generally good, but the sentence variety could be improved to demonstrate more complex grammatical mastery.

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