Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-14
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)
It is widely acknowledged that we can easily judge anyone's personality, culture and religion from their clothes. I am considerable disagreement with this statement because people wear clothes according to the situation and weather.
To begin with various factors are there why I strongly disagree that person's clothes can define their character and culture. First and foremost, people prefer to wear clothes based on the occasion and situation. To cite an example, I am working in a South Indian restaurant from past three years, where I have to wear black uniform everyday and have to maintain a smile on my face throughout the day. As a result, mostly customers are not able to guess my culture and personality from my clothes. Although I am from Punjab, mostly customers consider that as I am from Kerala. Besides that, a vast majority of people change their clothing style everyday because in this modern world, they have a lot of designs, brands and styles in clothing. Mostly people want to try different style clothes everyday.
However, the other view is widely held because of few reasons. One of these reason is that if there is any festival or any religious party then mostly people wear cultural clothes; as a consequence, we may judge everyone's personality, culture and religion from their clothes.
In conclusion, I completely disagree that just by watching someone's clothes, we can say a lot about person's culture and
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, ending abruptly at 238 words. This under-length significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the main arguments regarding work uniforms and modern fashion trends are relevant, the conclusion is incomplete, which prevents a full development of the argument. To improve, you must ensure you reach the word count and provide a complete, well-rounded conclusion that synthesizes your main points rather than cutting off mid-sentence.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. You use some cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'First and foremost', and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow is interrupted by the incomplete ending. Additionally, some transitions feel mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'Mostly customers consider that as I am from Kerala', where the connection to the previous point is slightly awkward. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a complete structure will help improve your score.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'widely acknowledged', 'occasion', and 'cultural clothes'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I am considerable disagreement' (should be 'I am in considerable disagreement') and 'mostly customers' (should be 'most customers'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focus on learning common collocations and ensuring you use adjectives and adverbs correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'various factors are there why' (awkward phrasing), 'from past three years' (should be 'for the past three years'), and 'One of these reason' (should be 'reasons'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly regarding comma usage. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and ensuring your complex sentences are grammatically sound.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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