Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-01

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 4.5)

On this topic I choose both agree and disagree, depending on the country. I have lived in both Western and Asian countries. I will give you examples of each country as follows:-

Asian countries like India, there is too much casteism, so they have their own culture and clothes. There are four religions. They have different cultures, clothes, and languages. They can tell each other apart by their clothes and culture.

Western countries like Canada, there is

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response only partially addresses the task and is severely cut short, reaching only 77 words against the minimum requirement of 250 words. Because the length requirement is not met, the development of ideas is heavily curtailed. The writer attempts to introduce a balanced view by stating 'I choose both agree and disagree, depending on the country,' but fails to fully explore or support this position with adequate examples. The mention of India and Canada is superficial, leaving the central question underdeveloped and truncated mid-sentence. To reach a higher level, the response must meet the word count threshold and fully extend ideas regarding how clothing reflects character and culture across different societies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is some basic organization attempted, such as introducing the topic and mentioning examples like 'Asian countries like India' and 'Western countries like Canada.' However, the text lacks a clear overall progression because the response cuts off abruptly. Paragraphing is weak, and the use of cohesive devices is minimal and mechanical, relying on repetitive introductory phrases like 'countries like' and conversational signposting such as 'as follows:-' and 'I will give you examples.' To improve coherence and cohesion, the writer needs to structure the essay into cohesive paragraphs with clear topic sentences, logical transitions between ideas, and a proper conclusion that unifies the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for basic communication. The writer employs simple words and repeats terms such as 'countries,' 'culture,' and 'clothes.' There are noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'too much casteism,' which does not naturally fit the context of explaining how clothing reveals culture. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey a basic premise, it lacks the range and precision needed to discuss abstract sociological concepts effectively. To achieve a higher band, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of less common lexical items, precise topic-related terminology, and demonstrate better control over collocation and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple or awkwardly constructed sentences. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing prepositions and poor clause integration in sentences like 'Asian countries like India, there is too much casteism, so they have their own culture and clothes.' These errors can cause some difficulty and hesitation for the reader. To improve grammatical range and accuracy, the writer needs to practice forming more complex sentence structures with subordinate clauses and improve sentence boundary punctuation, ensuring better control over basic grammatical agreements and article usage.

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