Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-03

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 ways individuals dress up now is adopted from the world wide fashion trends mainly through social media. In my opinion, I agree that global trends plays a strong vital role on people's lives. However, I also believe that there are some negative aspects which should also be considered.

Many people have access to social media applications such as Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook which has made the wider community more connected towards each other through which the global trends of fashion from all over the world are followed. The populace follows media stars who are actors, bloggers, influencers and prominent figures and try to copy their styles. Most of these styles are modern and chic which makes a person look more stylish. People learn and adopt these styles according to their likes and dislikes.

Thousands of people especially those who are elderly assumes that because of these contemporary societies, many have forgotten their traditional and cultural dressing styles which represents who they are and tell what country they belong to as every nation has its own dress code. For instance, the country i live or belong to is Pakistan, and the national dress of Pakistan is shalwar kameez. Similarly, Indian women are to dress up in a saree and men in dhoti.

In conclusion, I would like to say that modern style dressing is smart however it doesn't represent who you are and your real identity. People should get connected with each other but it should not influence the way they dresses.

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 this trend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention social media as a driver, the explanation of why this influence is so strong could be more deeply explored. Similarly, the discussion on the negative impact is restricted to the loss of traditional identity. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced arguments, perhaps discussing the economic or psychological impacts of global fashion, and ensure your position is consistently maintained throughout the essay rather than just stated in the introduction.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central focus. There is a basic attempt at cohesion using transition words like 'However' and 'Similarly'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of cohesive devices is limited. For example, the transition between the influence of social media and the cultural impact could be smoother. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect ideas more fluidly, and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'these styles') is always clear and unambiguous.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'prominent figures', 'contemporary societies', and 'traditional'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'dress up' instead of 'dress' or 'fashionable', and 'connected towards each other' which is slightly unnatural. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your meaning clearly, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('global trends plays', 'elderly assumes', 'way they dresses') and minor punctuation or article errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and ensure that your complex sentences are constructed accurately. Proofreading for these specific types of errors before finishing will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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