Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-02

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 6.0)

Nowadays, the dressing style of people is strongly influenced by fashion trends in the world. This essay will discuss the reasons behind this trend and why I believe it to be a negative development rather than a positive one.

There are several reasons behind this influence on people. The primary reason is people's perspective on following a global trend. Society judges people based on how closely they follow global fashion trends. To fit in society, one has to adopt the fashion sense that is globally common despite their liking for that trend. For example, there was a trend of ripped jeans in recent years. Many people were uncomfortable wearing them, but they did wear it just to avoid the judgement. Another reason for this trend is the widespread use of social media. Social media influencers have a significant impact on people's clothing choices. Many people try to imitate their favourite celebrities by dressing and styling themselves like them. This strongly contributes to global fashion trends.

I believe it is a negative development because people spend money on things they don't want just in the name of fashion. People are forgetting their traditions, cultural clothing and adopting international culture.

In conclusion, social media, celebrity culture and online shopping have made global fashion highly influential. However, I believe its negative effects on spending habits and cultural traditions outweigh its benefits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both parts of the question: you explain social pressure and social media as influences, and clearly state that the development is negative. The ripped-jeans example supports the point about conformity, while your conclusion restates your position. However, the response is 22 words below the required minimum, and this limits the space available to develop your ideas. The negative effects are less fully explained than the causes: you mention unwanted spending and the loss of cultural clothing, but do not give a specific example or explain their consequences. The conclusion also introduces online shopping without explaining it in the main discussion. Develop each effect with a reason or example and ensure the response meets the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph explaining causes, a paragraph giving your view, and a conclusion. The progression from social pressure to social media is easy to follow, and signposts such as “The primary reason,” “Another reason,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some stronger control through logical sequencing. To make the links more flexible and less formulaic, connect the ideas within paragraphs and clarify how each example supports the main point. The short paragraph beginning “I believe it is a negative development” contains two effects but little development; expanding it would improve the flow and balance of the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use adequate vocabulary for the topic, including “global fashion trends,” “social media influencers,” “cultural clothing,” and “celebrity culture.” These phrases make your meaning clear, and the response includes some relevant topic-specific language. However, several expressions are repetitive or imprecise, such as “trend” and “fashion,” and “people's perspective on following a global trend” is an awkward way to describe social pressure. There are also collocation and word-choice issues in “fit in society” and “avoid the judgement.” Aim for more precise phrasing and vary repeated terms, while checking that combinations sound natural. The vocabulary communicates your ideas, but its range and control are not yet consistently flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “Many people were uncomfortable wearing them, but they did wear it just to avoid the judgement” and the reason clause “because people spend money on things they don't want.” Most sentences are understandable, and grammatical errors rarely obstruct your meaning. Some errors remain: “they did wear it” does not agree with the plural “them,” and “To fit in society” is missing an article before “society” in this intended expression. The sentence “People are forgetting their traditions, cultural clothing and adopting international culture” also has an unclear parallel structure. Review pronoun agreement, articles, and parallel phrasing, and use a wider range of complex structures with consistent control.

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