Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-30

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)

Global fashion trends influence many aspects of the way people dress today. People's lives are strongly influenced by global fashion. According to me, it is a positive development because whenever people adopt fashion of any country they also implement good things of the culture they adopted.

It is widely observed that when people of certain country wear clothes of any foreign country, they try to mimic their culture too. Around 80 years ago, Britishers used to rule India. Indian women at that time wore traditional Indian attire named saree. Society was full of people who followed misogyny. Women were restricted to their homes and were not allowed to have any professional career. However British women wore dresses and they were more independent. Their clothes influenced many women in India who not only dressed like British women but acted like them. At present, misogyny is almost eradicated from Indian society because of the fashion trend started 80 years ago.

However, the fashion trend which influences people to dress like foreign people, also weakens their connection with their own culture. Nowadays sarees, which hold a great traditional value, is being worn very less by Indian women. Due to this, Indian youth have very less idea of their own traditions as most of them have never seen their sisters and mother wearing a saree. The essence of the culture is decreased because of an adoption of a foreign fashion trend.

Even though adopting foreign trends make us lose our own culture, the advantages provided by this development surpasses the disadvantages caused.

AI examiner evaluation

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 position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The historical example regarding British influence in India is interesting but relies on a significant over-generalisation by linking the eradication of misogyny directly to fashion trends. While the ideas are relevant, they lack the depth and nuance required for a higher band. The conclusion is brief but effectively summarises the writer's stance. To improve, ensure that arguments are supported by more logical and realistic evidence rather than broad historical claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Nowadays', and 'Even though' are used to link ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, moving from the influence of fashion to the positive aspects, then the negative aspects, and finally the conclusion. Referencing is mostly clear, although the connection between the historical example and the current state of society could be more tightly managed to improve the flow. Overall, the structure is sufficient to guide the reader through the argument without difficulty.

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 less common vocabulary, such as 'eradicated' and 'misogyny', which are used correctly. However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'whenever people adopt fashion of any country they also implement good things' and 'worn very less'. These minor inaccuracies do not impede communication but prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on more natural collocations and precise word choices to convey meaning more effectively.

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 errors, such as 'sarees... is being worn' (subject-verb agreement) and 'the fashion trend which influences people to dress like foreign people' (slightly redundant phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some missing articles and minor errors in sentence construction. The majority of sentences are understandable, and the errors do not cause significant difficulty for the reader. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the use of articles.

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