Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-10
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people say that it is possible to tell a lot about a person’s culture and character from their choice of clothes.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Some people believe that we can have information about a person's culture and character from their choice of clothes. while other think totally differently from that. I will explain some of my ideas in the following paragraphs.
On the one hand, people choose clothes according to their preference. To elaborate, if some people wear clothes which was gifted by their friends, we will not get ideas about their character and culture because there are more chances their friend follows a different culture. As a result, we would not have any correct information about their culture and character from their clothes. For example, I have some traditional clothes from Gujrat; if I wear this, someone easily believes that I am from Gujrat, but I am from Punjab. So, we cannot judge culture from clothes.
On the other hand, clothes tell a lot about the culture and character. Many people like to wear clothes according to their tradition and character.AS a result, we can easily get ideas about the culture. For example, my friend wears only traditional clothes al clothes so anyone can tell about the culture but not about the character. Hence, it would not be wrong to say that people can assume about culture from clothes.
In conclusion, although people can have ideas about the culture from clothes, it is not always true if people wear clothes from different traditions. I totally disagree with this statement because there is some chance to know about the culture from clothes, but we can not tell about character.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt, but the development of ideas is limited and somewhat contradictory. While you present both sides, the arguments lack depth. For instance, the example regarding traditional clothes from Gujarat is a good start, but the explanation of how this relates to 'character' is underdeveloped. The conclusion states you 'totally disagree' with the statement, yet your body paragraphs acknowledge that clothes can provide some insight into culture. This inconsistency makes your position unclear. To improve, ensure your conclusion aligns logically with the arguments presented and provide more detailed reasoning for why character, specifically, cannot be determined by clothing choices.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'As a result'). Some transitions feel forced, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disrupted by grammatical errors. For example, the transition in the second paragraph from discussing culture to character is abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that supports your overall argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'get ideas' and 'have information', which are repetitive. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'al clothes' (a typo) and 'assume about culture'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'socio-cultural identity', 'superficial judgment', or 'personal expression'. Expanding your range of collocations will help you express your ideas with greater clarity and impact.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede fluency. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'other think'), incorrect verb tenses ('clothes which was gifted'), and awkward phrasing ('if I wear this, someone easily believes'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some capitalization errors (e.g., 'AS a result'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent verb tense usage throughout your paragraphs.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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