Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-24

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 7.0)

In recent decades, global fashion trends have come to exert a powerful influence over how people dress, regardless of their cultural background or geographical location. While this globalisation of style has certain benefits, I believe its overall impact is largely negative.

Several factors explain the rise of global fashion as a dominant force. Firstly, the internet and social media platforms allow trends to spread almost instantaneously across the world; a style popularised by a celebrity or influencer in one country can be replicated by millions within days. Secondly, multinational clothing brands operate in nearly every major city, exposing consumers everywhere to the same styles and marketing campaigns. Finally, international travel and cross-cultural exposure have made people more aware of, and eager to adopt, fashions from other parts of the world.

Despite its widespread appeal, I would argue that this trend carries more drawbacks than benefits. Most significantly, it contributes to the erosion of traditional dress and local cultural identity, as younger generations increasingly favour globally popular styles over garments tied to their own heritage. Additionally, the fast-fashion industry that drives many global trends is associated with serious environmental damage, including textile waste and pollution, as well as questionable labour practices in manufacturing countries. Furthermore, the pressure to constantly follow new trends can encourage overconsumption and unnecessary spending among individuals.

That said, global fashion does offer some advantages, such as greater self-expression and access to a wider variety of styles than would otherwise be available locally.

In conclusion, although global fashion trends provide consumers with greater choice and connectivity, I believe their negative consequences particularly the loss of cultural diversity and environmental harm outweigh these benefits, making this an overall negative development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. The student clearly identifies the causes behind the strong influence of global fashion in the second paragraph, specifically mentioning internet platforms, multinational brands, and international travel. Furthermore, the writer establishes a clear and consistent position regarding whether this is a positive or negative development, arguing cogently that its negative impacts outweigh the advantages. The main ideas are well-developed with relevant supporting details, such as the erosion of traditional dress, environmental damage from the fast-fashion industry, and consumer overconsumption. The progression of ideas flows logically from causes to counter-arguments and a final balanced conclusion. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 8 descriptor for Task Achievement, as all parts of the prompt are covered thoroughly and supported with well-developed ideas and only rare minor omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are coherently structured, moving smoothly from an introductory statement outlining the writer's position into distinct body paragraphs handling the causes, drawbacks, and balancing advantages, before culminating in a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used flexibly and appropriately without feeling overly mechanical, as seen in the natural transitions provided by phrases such as 'Several factors explain...', 'Despite its widespread appeal...', and 'That said...'. Paragraphing is handled skilfully, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct central theme. There are no notable flaws in referencing or substitution. This earns a solid Band 7, reflecting clear logical organisation, progression, and appropriate management of paragraphing and cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates a sufficient and often flexible range of vocabulary suited to the topic of fashion and globalisation. Less common lexical items are used appropriately, including terms such as 'globalisation', 'replicated', 'erosion', 'fast-fashion industry', and 'overconsumption'. Word choice and collocations are generally precise, though there are minor omissions in advanced collocation control, such as a slight punctuation slip in the conclusion ('consequences particularly the loss'). Nevertheless, the vocabulary allows for precise communication of complex ideas and the lexical range is more than adequate for the task. This performance fits comfortably within the Band 7 criteria, which requires a sufficient range with some awareness of style and collocation, alongside occasional minor errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The student exhibits a strong command of grammatical structures, successfully employing a wide range of complex sentence forms with a high degree of accuracy. Examples include concessive clauses ('While this globalisation of style has certain benefits...'), participial phrases ('...exposing consumers everywhere to the same styles...'), and conditional elements. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is managed securely across complex syntax. Minor lapses do not impede communication in any way. Because the writer demonstrates good control of grammar and punctuation with frequent error-free sentences incorporating a variety of complex structures, this response meets the requirements for a Band 8 under the Grammatical Range and Accuracy criterion.

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