Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-29

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)

Nowadays, it has become hard to tell about the culture or character of people from the way they dress. It is common for people to adopt a lifestyle completely different than the culture they come from. Therefore, I disagree that a person's culture and character can be determined from the way they dress.

Firstly, globalization has played a major role in shaping the lifestyle of people. The world now is seen as a global village, where people from different backgrounds and cultures come together and live. With time, the choice of dressing starts to change not because a person has forgot his culture but because it is the demand of today's world. For instance, many people now promote intercultural marriages rather than the previous intracultural relatoinships. Due to this reason, children of such couples are not obliged to follow any particular background. Hence, in this case scenario, their culture cannot be judged from the way they dress.

Secondly, urbanization has allowed people to migrate from villages to cities for better lifestyle. Following this race of migration, many have left behind their culture. For example, a girl who was never exposed to the limelight of cities, when moves their, gets a cultural shock. To adjust in their, she starts to change herself, hence, adapting to new cultures. With the advent of time, it becomes hard for others to know her real background or character.

In conclusion, I disagree with the statement that the choice of clothes are helpful to determine a person's culture or character as globalization and urbanization have taken over, amending people to new lifestyles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear from the introduction and conclusion: you disagree that clothing reliably reveals culture or character. The two main reasons—globalisation and urbanisation—are relevant, and you include examples involving intercultural families and migration to cities. However, the response focuses much more on cultural background and adaptation than on character, so one part of the claim is not fully addressed. Some reasoning is also asserted rather than explained: for example, the link between intercultural marriage and children’s clothing choices needs a clearer, more specific illustration. Develop both culture and character, and explain how clothing can be chosen for practical or personal reasons rather than reflecting either one.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a conclusion that restates your view. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow. Some connections are less precise or mechanical, however. “Due to this reason” and “Hence, in this case scenario” repeat the same link, while “Following this race of migration” is difficult to interpret. The example about a girl moving to a city also shifts between “a girl” and “she” without clearly establishing the situation. Use simpler, more exact transitions and make the relationship between each example and its main point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “globalization,” “intercultural marriages,” “urbanization,” and “cultural shock,” which helps communicate the essay’s central ideas. There are also noticeable problems with word choice, collocation, and spelling that make some phrases awkward or unclear. For instance, “the demand of today’s world” is not a natural way to describe changing clothing choices, and “gets a cultural shock” is less idiomatic than the standard expression. “Relatoinships” is misspelled, and “their” is used where you mean “there.” Aim for accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully; this will make your argument clearer without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses beginning “where,” “because,” and “when,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. Some errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction remain. For example, “a person has forgot” should use the past participle “forgotten,” and “the choice of clothes are helpful” has a singular subject with a plural verb. In “a girl … when moves their,” the clause lacks a clear subject and contains an incorrect location form. The sentence beginning “To adjust in their” is also incomplete in its construction. Review agreement and build complex sentences around a clear subject and verb.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.