Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some parts of the world, people buy far too many clothes.

What are the reasons for this?
How can people be persuaded to reduce the number of clothes they buy?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The most prominent reason for buying numerous clothes is their affordability of buying them.

Since non-branded garments are cheaply priced and easily available to purchase, people tend to buy in bulk rather than buying individually. For example, buyers are keen to buy several items of attire to change frequently. Another reason is linked to availability. A plethora of fashionable clothes are available in the market, although those can be copies of premium clothes, thereby leading individuals to buy in bulk.

Discussing the solutions, the main one is that people should be provided with the required knowledge, as people prefer the cheapest to buy without checking the fabric quality. If people are educated enough to differentiate the quality of clothes, they may be less likely to buy several cheaper clothes. For example, most shoppers are influenced by advertisements associated with sales on particular types of clothes, which makes them buy more without even thinking whether they actually need those or not. Moreover, it is incumbent upon governments to compel industries to manufacture high-quality garments to reduce the manufacturing of low-quality ones. Consequently, the production of good-quality clothes would be expensive to buy, which can make people buy less to save money.

In conclusion, affordability and availability have encouraged consumers to buy several clothes; I believe this driving trend can be overcome with the help of government and increasing knowledge regarding this among them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt by identifying reasons for overbuying clothes (affordability and availability) and suggesting solutions (education and government regulation). However, the ideas are relatively basic and lack sufficient extension or detailed real-world examples. Furthermore, the length requirement is NOT met, as the response contains 232 words, falling 18 words short of the 250-word minimum. This under-length impacts the full development of the task. While the main parts of the prompt are covered, the lack of depth and failure to meet the minimum word count prevent this essay from reaching a higher band. Therefore, a band score of 5.0 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is generally coherent with a clear overall progression. The student uses basic paragraphing effectively, dividing the text into an introduction, body paragraphs for reasons and solutions, and a brief conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Another reason', 'Discussing the solutions', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion'. However, some referencing and linking feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, and cohesion within paragraphs is sometimes simplistic. Despite these minor limitations, the logical organization is clear enough to earn a band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'affordability', 'non-branded garments', 'plethora', and 'differentiate'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is occasionally accompanied by awkward phrasing or word choice errors, such as 'affordability of buying them' and 'several clothes' instead of 'many clothes'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary does not impede communication. This performance aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional forms ('If people are educated enough...') and relative clauses. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as 'is their affordability of buying them' and 'the cheapest to buy without checking'. However, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear. The grammatical control is sufficient for a Band 6.0.

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

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