Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-09
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)
The way people dress in modern World is influenced by global fashion trends in many aspects. It has become such a strong influence in people's lives due to social media and internet. In my opinion it has both positive and negative results.
Initiating with the pros of people's dressing linked to global fashion trends. Overall it has been more popular and gained attention in past few decades. As the whole world is connected to internet and almost everyone uses social media. Therefore every individual has an access through smartphones and multiple apps to study different cultures and their way of dressing. In addition to this, they are also aware of trending styles and fashion. However every person has different taste of dressing. Moreover, in most cases the people adopt the trends and fashion hypes, which are not against their local traditions and religion. For example. In today's World, it is a trend of baggy and loose dressing, rather than tight and bold clothing.
Summarizing the phenomena with the cons, after all somehow people are losing their actual local practices and preaching the boundaries of their religion. In Islam it is strictly prohibited for women to wear such clothes, which reveals ones body. It is clearly instructed to wear abaya and do hijab in public places. While most of the Muslim girls forget about it, all they care is modern and leading trends all over the globe. For example. Girls Posting videos and reels in such dresses results in increasing lust in men.
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 positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention social media as a driver, the explanation of why this is a 'positive' development is underdeveloped and lacks specific, well-supported examples. The discussion on the negative aspects is more focused but relies heavily on a single cultural perspective, which limits the breadth of the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are explored with equal depth and that your position is clearly maintained throughout the entire essay.
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 sometimes mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, 'Initiating with the pros' is not a standard academic transition, and the use of 'For example.' as a standalone sentence fragment disrupts the flow. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the logical progression between sentences could be smoother. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects back to the main prompt.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You use some repetitive phrasing, such as 'way of dressing' and 'fashion trends'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'preaching the boundaries of their religion' (likely meaning 'breaching') and 'fashion hypes'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited to common, everyday words. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and topic-specific collocations to demonstrate a more flexible command of the language.
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 the reader's flow. Common issues include missing articles ('in modern World', 'to internet'), incorrect preposition usage, and punctuation errors (e.g., starting sentences with 'For example.' as a fragment). Subject-verb agreement and pluralisation are also inconsistent. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic article usage and ensuring that sentences are complete, avoiding fragments.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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