Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-02

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 6.0)

I have to disagree with the first part of the sentence. Many people nowadays do not dress according to their culture. This may be for several reasons; for example, their work requires them to dress formally. So we cannot accurately tell a lot about a person's culture from their clothes. Apart from that, I believe culture is collective, so a single person cannot effectively represent their culture in a diverse environment. Nor can we form any opinions about their culture by merely looking at their clothes in an isolated environment.

However, you can tell something about a person's character from their choice of clothing. For example, if he wears appropriate clothes when he goes out, it suggests he is of strong character. Or if he dresses according to the occasion, it sheds light on his attention to detail. So, in conclusion, not much can be said about a person's culture from his clothes, since he might not be dressed in his traditional culture. However, you can grasp an idea of his character from his clothes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you disagree that clothing reliably reveals culture, while accepting that it can offer clues about character. You support this with relevant examples, such as work requiring formal dress and dressing appropriately for an occasion. However, the response addresses the task only partially because these points are asserted rather than explored in depth. For instance, explain how workplace dress can conceal cultural preferences, or why appropriate clothing might indicate consideration without proving someone has a strong character. The distinction between culture and character is useful, but the conclusion mostly repeats the introduction. The response also contains 175 words, which is 75 words below the required minimum; develop each main point with explanation and a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: it first discusses culture, then character, and ends with a conclusion that restates your position. Linking expressions such as “Apart from that,” “However,” and “So, in conclusion” make the relationship between points easy to follow. This clear structure meets the lower-band expectations and shows some features of stronger progression. To improve further, make the paragraphing more purposeful and develop a smoother progression within each section. The opening paragraph combines several claims about culture without a concrete example, while the character paragraph moves quickly from clothing choices to conclusions about personality. Also, “However” at the start of the second paragraph signals contrast, but a clearer transition could explain that you are now considering the other part of the question.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss the topic, including “collective,” “diverse environment,” “isolated environment,” and “attention to detail.” These choices help express distinctions between cultural identity and individual behaviour, and the meaning remains clear throughout. There are also some less precise or unnatural phrases, such as “the first part of the sentence,” which is vague, and “dressed in his traditional culture,” which does not express the intended idea naturally. “Strong character” is also a broad claim for the example given. Aim for more precise collocations and avoid repeating “clothes” and “culture” where alternatives such as “attire” or “cultural background” fit. More specific vocabulary would help you explain your examples with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and several structures are controlled well. For example, “Many people nowadays do not dress according to their culture” is clear, while “This may be for several reasons; for example, their work requires them to dress formally” combines a claim with an example. The inversion in “Nor can we form any opinions…” is also handled correctly. Some grammatical choices are less effective: “if he wears appropriate clothes when he goes out” shifts to a generic male pronoun, and “since he might not be dressed in his traditional culture” has an unclear grammatical relationship between the person and culture. Use “they” consistently for a general person and check that clauses express the intended relationship. Overall, errors do not prevent understanding.

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

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