Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-07
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 the modern era, it is commonly believed by many people that it is easy to predict an individual's culture and character from their clothing choice. I strongly disagree with that belief.
To begin with the older generations, they might have been following the culture, traditions and their beliefs, but observing the current generation it was not being carry forwarded. One set of people who still follows the culture might think it is possible to assume the character and culture but people have different mindset and everyone is looking forward to dress as per their job roles, environment and the society rather than following the traditions.
Moreover, dressing is as per the comfort of the person which differs from person to person even if not following one's own tradition & culture. For instance, I am from southern part of India where people usually wear saree and follow many rituals which I cannot follow while attending my workplace or meetings. I firmly believe that clothes are for comfort, not to decide a person's culture and character. Culture can generate vary from choice of clothing of an individual.
To sum up, I disagree with the people who thinks it is possible to tell a lot about the culture and character of a person from their choice of clothing.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but the development is insufficient. The essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. While you provide a personal example regarding Indian clothing, the explanation of why clothing does not reflect character is somewhat superficial. To improve, you should expand on your points by providing more detailed reasoning or additional examples. The conclusion is also quite brief. Because the response fails to meet the length requirement and lacks full development of ideas, it falls into the lower band range.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and limited use of cohesive devices. For example, the transition 'To begin with the older generations' is followed by a sentence that is difficult to follow ('it was not being carry forwarded'). While you use some linking words like 'Moreover' and 'To sum up', the connection between sentences is often mechanical. Improving the flow between ideas and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'people' and 'culture' repeatedly. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'culture can generate vary from choice of clothing'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. Focus on learning synonyms for common words and ensuring that your word choices are contextually appropriate. Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary related to sociology or fashion would also be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For instance, 'it was not being carry forwarded' contains a tense and verb form error. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'people who thinks'. While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors suggest a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like verb tense consistency and pluralization before attempting more complex grammatical forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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