Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

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 6.5)

Nowadays, many people buy more clothes than they need. There are numerous reasons behind this phenomenon, and this essay will examine some possible measures that can be taken to tackle this issue in the forthcoming paragraphs.

To commence with, there are many reasons why people buy too many clothes. The first and foremost reason is that fashion trends change very quickly. People want to wear new and stylish clothes to look good. Secondly, many shops offer discounts and sales, which encourage people to buy more items. What is more, social media is another reason. People see celebrities and influencers wearing new clothes and want to look like them. As a result, they spend too much money. To cite an example, according to a newspaper survey, 85% of people buy new clothes because of new fashion and discounts.

However, there are several ways to solve this problem. People should make a shopping list before going to the market and buy only the thing they need. They should also think carefully before buying new clothes. To be more precise, schools and governments should teach people about the harmful effects of buying too many clothes. Making clothes uses a lot of water and energy; it can create pollution. Additionally, people should donate older clothes to poor people instead of throwing them away. For example, according to an article in a magazine, the government should create awareness about clothing waste and environmental pollution.

In conclusion, I would like to restate that, no doubt, buying too many clothes is a common problem nowadays, we cannot overlook the importance of reusing old clothes and reducing waste.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the question: it identifies changing fashion, sales and social-media influence as reasons, then proposes personal shopping restraint, education and donating clothes. These points are relevant and the environmental explanation—clothing production uses water and energy and creates pollution—adds useful support. This meets the task clearly, but development is uneven: the reasons are listed rather than explored, and the proposed awareness campaign is not explained in practical terms. The examples attributed to a newspaper survey and magazine article are vague and do not add much convincing detail. To strengthen the response, explain how one or two causes affect buying behaviour and show specifically how education or other measures could change it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on causes, a paragraph on solutions and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposting such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “As a result” and “However” helps distinguish the main points. This is a strong organisational foundation. Some linking is formulaic, however, and the conclusion’s opening phrase, “I would like to restate,” is less natural than a direct summary. The final sentence also joins two ideas with a comma, making the relationship between the problem and the proposed response less clear. Use transitions more selectively and connect each solution directly to the cause it addresses to make the progression more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for discussing consumer behaviour and environmental effects, with relevant terms such as “fashion trends,” “influencers,” “discounts,” “pollution” and “clothing waste.” The meaning remains clear throughout. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, including “phenomenon” and “tackle this issue,” though some expressions are generic or awkward in context: “in the forthcoming paragraphs” is unnecessarily formal, and “buy only the thing they need” is imprecise. Repetition of “people,” “clothes” and “buy” limits flexibility. Build a more precise range for describing overconsumption and its consequences, and check collocations so that formal vocabulary sounds natural rather than inserted.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “clothes they need” and a reason clause in “because of new fashion and discounts.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and the paragraphing supports readability. Some grammatical and punctuation issues remain. In the conclusion, “no doubt, buying too many clothes is a common problem nowadays, we cannot overlook…” joins two independent clauses with only a comma; use a full stop, semicolon or conjunction. “Buy only the thing they need” also has a number mismatch between “thing” and the general plural meaning. Aim to vary sentence patterns further while checking clause boundaries and singular/plural agreement.

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.