Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-24

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)

In today’s era clothing plays an important role in deciding about our culture and character, however many opponents don’t believe so. According to my view point I completely agree with the above notion. This essay will justify my viewpoint further.

First and foremost, in modern era when we step out from society, whether going for a formal interview or some public gathering, our first impression is the last impression,the way we dress up is always acknowledged. For instance , in a recent interview for an assistant manager a candidate was assessed on skill sets in which dressing sense also mattered.

Secondly,we always show our character and cultural values through our dressing sense. For instance, Indian women demonstrate their culture on wearing saree and suit on special occasions even living in western culture which clearly shows our cultural values. Moreover, our character is reflected in a way we communicate and speak, which shows our moral values.

To conclude, although we live in a society where knowledge and other competencies are given more weightage , but still clothing

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 176 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, as the essay is incomplete and ends abruptly mid-sentence. While you state your position clearly in the introduction, the arguments provided are underdeveloped. For instance, the point about Indian women is relevant but lacks sufficient depth to fully explore the relationship between clothing and character. To improve, you must ensure you write at least 250 words to allow for a full exploration of your arguments and a proper conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude' to organize ideas. However, the progression is hindered by the incomplete nature of the final paragraph. Paragraphing is present, but the lack of a finished conclusion makes the overall structure feel disjointed. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that your ideas flow logically toward a complete, well-rounded conclusion. Avoid abrupt endings, as they disrupt the coherence of the entire piece.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on common phrases like 'dressing sense' and 'important role'. While these are understandable, they do not demonstrate a sophisticated command of English. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'weightage', which is less common in standard academic English. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and idiomatic expressions related to the topic of culture and personal identity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'in modern era' (missing article), 'on wearing saree' (preposition error), and 'in a way we communicate' (missing 'the'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing after commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall quality. Focus on proofreading for articles, prepositions, and basic sentence punctuation to improve your accuracy.

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

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