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)
It has been observed that global fashion trends are the major aspects that influence the way many individuals dress in this era. There are various reasons behind this statement which will be discussed in the ensuing paragraphs, and I believe that it is relatively a negative trend.
To begin with, there are numerous factors behind this trend, one of the significant reasons is social media influence. With the advancement of technology, people are more busy in different social media platforms, which enable them to know about different fashion trend running out in the world. For instance, Platforms like Tik-tok, Instagram, and Meta has become a major platforms for advertisement from where people get chance to know about different styles of clothing. Moreover, e-commerce platfroms like amazon, daraz, and alibaba makes more convenient to buy clothes from home with in a short span of time.
Next, in case of whether it is a positive or negative development, in my opinion, it is largely a negative development. There are several reasons behind this stance. One of the major reasons is financial burden. Due to increasing demand from children, parents may feel financial pressure especially the needy ones. Another significant reason is resource depletion. With the increasing demand for fashion, it requires a huge amount of energy, water, raw-materials to produce, which leads to over use of resources. It also cause pollution. For example, with the burning of large amount of fossil fuels, it emmits a lot of carbon, which eventually causes environmental pollution.
In colclusion, social media influence is one of the major factor regarding the influence of global fashion. I believe it is a negative development because it can leads to resource depletion and global warming
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 the evaluation of whether this is positive or negative. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention social media and e-commerce as drivers, the explanation could be more nuanced. Similarly, the negative impacts regarding financial burden and environmental issues are mentioned but lack depth or specific, well-developed examples to fully support the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with a clear logical link back to the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' to link your thoughts. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the influence of social media and the negative impacts could be better integrated. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of your argument, which helps the reader follow your logic.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'resource depletion', 'financial burden', and 'e-commerce'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'running out in the world' (instead of 'emerging' or 'prevailing') and 'makes more convenient' (which requires an object, e.g., 'makes it more convenient'). Some spelling errors are present, such as 'platfroms' and 'emmits'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on more precise collocations and proofreading for spelling would improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Platforms... has become', 'it can leads to') and article usage ('the major aspects'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some errors in sentence construction. While you attempt complex sentences, the frequency of errors is noticeable. To improve, focus on ensuring that your verb forms match your subjects and that your sentence structures are grammatically sound. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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