Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

It is argued that an individual's style of dressing gives an insight into their cultural background and character. In my view, people's choice of clothing might reflect their religious observance and cultural traditions, but should not be taken as a symbol of their character.

The primary reason for this paradigm is that an individual's dressing sense reflects their specific religious and cultural beliefs, which have been passed down by the progenitors and are kept alive by the modern practices. For instance, the Hijab practice in the Muslim community reflect their religious values. Furthermore, people wear traditional attire to demonstrate their native land of origin, which not only helps them to stay connected to their roots but also assists them in recognizing similar families in foreign land. Consequently, such traditional costumes become a hallmark for their cultural backgrounds.

Conversely, a person's character cannot be accurately determined by their dressing style. Some think people wearing modern dresses might be sophisticated whereas those wearing the traditional clothing may be old-fashioned, however in the modern world such thinking has been proved wrong. Additionally, some people might mistakenly associate clothing with character, since some professional codes shape these perceptions. It is possible that people who dress formally, which is appropriate as per the societal norms may possess immoral and negative personal values which are detrimental to the society, but those who wear casual and informal cheaper clothes might possess stronger ethical values and higher moral character.

In conclusion, although an individual's choice of clothes has a direct relationship with their religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds, I disagree with the part that it can predict their moral character.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position that distinguishes between culture and character. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the distinction between religious/cultural expression and moral character. The argument is supported by relevant examples, such as the Hijab and professional dress codes. The position is maintained consistently throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. The response is balanced, providing a nuanced view that acknowledges the validity of the prompt's premise regarding culture while refuting it regarding character. The development is logical and sufficient for the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'The primary reason for this paradigm', 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', and 'Conversely' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main arguments. The referencing is generally clear, although the transition between the discussion of professional codes and the final conclusion could be slightly more refined to improve the flow. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is generally precise and appropriate for the topic. The student uses a range of academic and topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'progenitors', 'paradigm', 'sophisticated', and 'detrimental'. There are some minor collocations issues, such as 'the Hijab practice' (better: 'wearing the Hijab') and 'in foreign land' (better: 'in a foreign land'). However, these do not impede communication. The range is sufficient to convey complex ideas clearly, and the student demonstrates an awareness of style by using formal language throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a high level of accuracy, with the majority of sentences being error-free. Complex structures, such as the conditional-like construction in the final paragraph, are handled well. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'reflect' instead of 'reflects' in the phrase 'the Hijab practice... reflect their religious values', and the missing article in 'in foreign land'. These are non-systematic and do not interfere with the clarity of the message. Punctuation is generally accurate, supporting the overall readability of the text.

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