Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-29

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)

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.

Recent days people dressing are matched and influenced by international fashion trends. I firmly believe that this influenced is mainly due to global and social media industry. This trend has more disadvantages as compared to advantages.

Wearing dresses according to global trend has become a common trend and the international fashion has deep affect on people lives. Discussing how this trend had started, as the media industry grows from television, watching fashion icons wearing attractive clothes primarily sponsored by clothing brands created a cringe among people specifically among young generations. Youngsters started following the trend and now in recent social media world where everything is a click away, this trend has boomed and we observe every individual commonly younger ones has adopted this trend explicitly. People wear whatever is recommended by influencers on social platforms. For example, Ronaldo was wearing a Levis shirt and a Nike shoes in an advertisement and within one month most of the people was following the trend.

This trend is creating a blind trust diminishing cultural and individual values as well as affecting the people finances negatively. Every country and civilization has its own cultural dresses and fashion values which is being diminishing by this global trend. Secondly, every individual has his own preferences regarding fashion however this trend is urging people to follow the same trend. Finances of each person vary according to his income and he spends money according this budget on fashion or dressing however current trends let youngsters to purchase from specific brands and specific items affecting their finances. However, this trend also has some advantages as it leads to global uniformity and increases finances of countries and brands letting people rely on them.

In conclusion, people dressing are influenced by international trends specifically in recent world and mainly affect youngsters and being implied by internet. This trend is affecting badly on people individual, cultural and financial sustainability however international harmony and brands development are positive aspects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the influence of global fashion and the evaluation of whether this is positive or negative. The position is clear, stating that the influence is primarily driven by media and that it is largely negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the example of Ronaldo is relevant, the discussion on cultural values and financial impact is a bit repetitive and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced analysis rather than listing points, ensuring that the 'positive' aspect mentioned in the conclusion is more thoroughly integrated into the main body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a progression of ideas from the causes of the trend to its negative impacts. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'this trend' to start sentences. Referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the negative impacts and the brief mention of advantages in the third paragraph feels abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'fashion icons', 'cultural values', and 'financial sustainability'. However, there are several instances of word choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'created a cringe among people' (which is informal and misused) and 'deep affect on people lives' (should be 'effect' and 'people's lives'). To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensure you are using the correct form of words (e.g., noun vs. verb).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'Recent days people dressing are matched' (awkward phrasing), 'every individual commonly younger ones has adopted' (subject-verb agreement and punctuation issues), and 'this trend is affecting badly on people individual' (incorrect preposition and adjective usage). There are also consistent issues with pluralization and article usage. Increasing the accuracy of basic grammar and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your score.

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

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