Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17

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 recent years, fashion trends have considerably grown to such an extent. Many people tend to follow these fashion icons and try to dress like them. They have a strong influence on people's lives, as people are into the digital era and use different means of technology. Seeing fashion shows and advertisements engages the people's attention. In my opinion, this is a negative development because dresses like these are inappropriate as well as costly.

Many social media handles advertise fashion trends on their pages. These include paid partnerships of different models, fashion show videos, and many clothing brands launching their own product. The clothes presented on these videos are either inappropriate or shorter, showing half of the body, which impacts their lives. Apart from that, such dresses are quite expensive, making it difficult to buy for a middle-class person. For example, women buy fashionable dresses from online stores without considering their quality and price.

On the other hand, fashion has considerably persuaded the young minds in today's world. People in the past had no idea about different makeup kits and dresses. They tried local stuff without knowing their consequences. However, people are now connected on their mobile phones. They see content published by different brands and have more significant knowledge about fashion than their ancestors. For instance, the discounts on several makeup kits influence the women to buy the cheaper one.

To sum up what we discussed so far, although having the information on various fashion trends is a necessity these days, spending flawlessly on these items can bring risks such as degraded quality and people's inappropriate comments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing how global fashion influences lives through digital technology and social media, and clearly stating a negative position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and occasionally shifts focus. For instance, the second paragraph touches upon inappropriate clothing and high costs, yet the example regarding women buying online stores lacks specific depth. The third paragraph attempts to present a counterpoint about historical lack of awareness versus modern connectivity, but this argument is slightly underdeveloped in relation to the main question. While a clear position is maintained throughout the essay, the supporting examples could be more thoroughly explained and extended to fully meet the higher band criteria. Consequently, the task response aligns best with a Band 6.0 performance level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas from the introduction through body paragraphs to a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate distinct points, such as the negative impacts of social media marketing versus the historical comparison. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, as seen in transitions like 'Apart from that' and 'To sum up what we discussed so far.' Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the historical comparison in paragraph three and the overall argument on whether fashion's influence is positive or negative feels slightly disjointed. Overall, the organizational structure is sufficiently clear to meet the requirements for a Band 6.0 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'digital era,' 'advertisements,' 'paid partnerships,' and 'middle-class person.' There are occasional attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are sometimes accompanied by inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, such as 'spending flawlessly on these items,' where 'flawlessly' is misused in place of a word indicating excess or recklessness. Other minor lexical slips occur, such as 'dresses like these are inappropriate.' Despite these limitations, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the writer's meaning clearly without impeding communication, fitting comfortably within the Band 6.0 descriptor range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and conditional ideas like 'making it difficult to buy for a middle-class person' and 'although having the information on various fashion trends is a necessity these days.' There are several noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'dresses like these' where 'clothing' or 'styles' might be more appropriate, and awkward phrasing such as 'influence the women to buy the cheaper one.' However, these errors do not impede communication and the basic meaning remains clear throughout the response. The control of grammar aligns well with the standards for a Band 6.0 rating.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.