Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-23

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 has been widely said that individual's culture can be identified by their dressing. People often wear their traditional dress to celebrate their festivals. In the contemporary era, it is very difficult to idetify culture based on outfits because people have started to wear modern clothing such as Jeans and T-shirt due to the comfort levels, which makes it impossible to guess their roots.

To begin with, people in the modern world have started to accept another's cultures. They may try foreign outfits during the festivals to show respect. Some individuals have unique identity which makes easier for others to guess. For instance, mens in punjabi community often wear turban everyday. This unique identification makes it very easy to identify them. People from other community also try to keep the same which makes others to

On the other hand, individuals try to avoid traditional outfit during regular working days because they do not want any attention from unknown people. They prefer to wear professional outfit during their working hours to express simplicity. Furthermore, individuals have started to give preference to comfort because traditional clothing may feel heavyness and uncomfortable during work, whereas american clothes are flexible and comfortable. For instance, Indian citizens living in Canada often seen in trouser and t-shirt and based on their dressing, it would be difficult to judge their culture.

To sum up, Although people have accepted modern dressing, their love for traditions have not diminished. It may be possible to identify their belongingness during the festivals, but impossible to guess in regular working days.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the question by considering both traditional clothing and modern everyday dress, and your conclusion gives a clear overall view: culture may be easier to recognise at festivals than on ordinary working days. The examples of Punjabi men wearing turbans and Indian citizens in Canada wearing trousers and T-shirts are relevant. However, the position is not fully consistent: the opening says it is “impossible to guess their roots,” while the conclusion allows that belonging can be identified in some situations. Several points are asserted rather than explained, and the paragraph about people adopting foreign outfits ends without completing its final idea. State your degree of agreement clearly and develop each example to show what clothing can—and cannot—reveal about culture and character.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting points, and a conclusion. Phrases such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “To sum up” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven. The sentence ending “which makes others to” is incomplete and interrupts the argument, while the link between adopting foreign outfits and identifying a person’s culture is not made explicit. Some ideas also repeat the contrast between traditional and modern clothing without adding a new step to the reasoning. Organise each body paragraph around one main claim, then explain and illustrate it before moving on; use clear references so readers can follow who “they” and “others” refer to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “traditional dress,” “festivals,” “professional outfit,” and “comfort,” and you attempt more specific expressions such as “unique identity” and “belongingness.” The meaning is generally understandable, but several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, including “their dressing,” “guess their roots,” “give preference to comfort,” and “feel heavyness.” There are also spelling and form errors, such as “idetify” and “mens,” which reduce accuracy. Build a more reliable range of natural phrases for discussing clothing and cultural identity—for example, “wear traditional clothing,” “identify someone’s cultural background,” and “prioritise comfort.” Check spelling and whether nouns and adjectives are used in the correct form.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “whereas” and a concession in the conclusion. However, errors in sentence construction and agreement are frequent enough to make some parts difficult to follow. For example, “Some individuals have unique identity which makes easier for others to guess” is missing grammatical elements, and “People from other community also try to keep the same which makes others to” is incomplete. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and verb forms, as in “individual's culture,” “another's cultures,” and “Indian citizens living in Canada often seen.” Practise complete sentence patterns, subject–verb agreement, and article use. Proofread each sentence to ensure it has a clear subject and a correctly formed verb.

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