Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-07
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 taken a major role on the dressing style of individuals in certain ways. It gets possible only by the vast use of social media. Although it has some draw backs, but I believe that this is a positive development.
Global fashion effects the style of dressing of individuals in many ways. The most possible reason is social media. Today, social media has played a wide role in influencing peoples, a person cannot live without social media, it also becomes the major need of individuals. Peoples follows the same dressing style that is on trending in social media. For instance, in 2019 there is a trend of wearing a tight jeans or shirts, on social media so people follows it, same as today, the trend of wearing baggy jeans and shirts are hit. That is why we see most of the individuals wearing it.
Additionally, following a latest fashion trend can makes you a member of the society. As most individuals today respects the person most, who wears, latest clothes that are on trend. Similarly, wearing a new clothes is essential in today's era, in order to look clean and presentable.
Conversely, it also have some bad affects on the most of communities living in that country, like in Pakistan most of the individuals are Muslims and they must have to wear Islamic dresses, but the latest fashion have a greater pressure on them for wearing a trending clothes. For instance, if a Muslim girl wears a pent shirt for following a new fashion, she faces torchers or criticization.
To conclude, wearing a new fashion clothes is necessary for being a part of the society, but certain communities also have to face criticization for it.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the influence of global fashion and whether this is a positive or negative development. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention social media as a driver, the explanation remains repetitive, focusing heavily on the example of jeans. The discussion regarding the 'positive' aspect is limited to social acceptance, and the 'negative' aspect is restricted to a specific cultural conflict. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced arguments and deeper analysis of why global fashion has such a pervasive influence, rather than relying on simple examples. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments lack depth and variety.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'It gets possible only by' and 'same as today' are awkward transitions that do not effectively link ideas. The progression of ideas within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the transition from social media to specific clothing trends feels abrupt. While there is an attempt to use linking words like 'Additionally' and 'Conversely', the overall flow is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of sophisticated referencing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'major role', 'good', and 'bad'. There are also several instances of incorrect word choice and collocation, such as 'effects' (should be 'affects'), 'torchers' (should be 'torment' or 'harassment'), and 'criticization' (which is not standard English; 'criticism' is preferred). The repetition of phrases like 'individuals' and 'wearing' limits the lexical variety. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring correct word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'following a latest fashion trend can makes you'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'people follows it'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'It gets possible only by'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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