Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In recent years, many small local shops have closed because customers travel to large shopping centres or malls to do their shopping.

Is this a positive or a negative development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Now a days mega super stores are replacing the small shops rapidly.We often seen new grand openings of a malls or shopping centres.Shopping from these super stores are getting popularity day by day and people find a sort of enjoyment rather than a shopping only.

Certainly,its a positive development that one store contains all essential items and grocery.Nowadays life is very fast and there is no time for people to for different shops for their essential items.When you go to a super market you find different sections about fruit,vegetables,medicines,crockery and food.So you do not need to go different places for your monthly or daily life livings.

Shopping from a mega mall give a sense of satisfaction that everything is available on this site.Some malls offers a play area so parents leave their kids on that area without any hesitation and do their shopping with freedom.There are some food courts for visitors and families,so they can enjoy their meal time with relax mind.

in the crux i have very good experience with a super mega mart IMTIAZ which is situated near my home on walking distance and give me alot of relaxation in the sense of freedom that i have accessible all neccessary items with the distance of three to five minutes.They have very reasonable prices on fruits and vegetables because thay recieved a notice from Government that sell on market rates as compared to small shops who are selling on their own prices.In adition thay offered a variety of food so if you are not in the mood of cooking you can buy it for you and your family.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you regard the growth of malls and large stores as positive, and you support this with relevant points about convenience, the range of goods, family facilities, and your experience at Imtiaz. This addresses the question and gives the reader a concrete example. However, some points are more fully explained than others. The convenience argument is supported with examples of different departments, while the claims about satisfaction and play areas receive less explanation. The response also focuses almost entirely on benefits and does not explain why the closure of small shops might be harmful, such as its effect on local livelihoods or neighbourhood access. Develop the less-supported points and connect your examples more directly to the overall impact of shops closing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable sequence: it introduces the trend, gives reasons for viewing it positively, and ends with a personal example. Paragraphing helps separate the main points, and linking expressions such as “Certainly,” “So,” and “because” show how some ideas relate. At times, however, the progression feels list-like, with several mall facilities added one after another rather than developed into a connected argument. The final paragraph combines personal experience, prices, government rules, and food options, making its central point less clear. Some references, such as “that area” and “this site,” are also not fully precise. Use clearer topic sentences and organise each paragraph around one main reason, with supporting explanation and a direct link to your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas and include some topic-specific terms, such as “shopping centres,” “food courts,” “essential items,” and “reasonable prices.” The personal example also gives the response some specificity. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “a sort of enjoyment rather than a shopping only,” “monthly or daily life livings,” and “with relax mind” are difficult or awkward expressions. Spelling and word forms also need attention, including “neccessary,” “recieved,” and “adition.” Aim to use familiar words accurately before reaching for more elaborate phrasing, and check common collocations. More precise expressions for convenience, affordability, and the effects on local businesses would strengthen the argument.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including clauses with “because” and “so,” and the main message is usually understandable. However, errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and verb forms occur across the response. For example, “Shopping from these super stores are getting popularity” has a subject–verb agreement problem and an awkward construction; “Some malls offers” also has incorrect agreement. In “there is no time for people to for different shops,” the sentence pattern is incomplete, while “in the crux i have” needs more accurate sentence boundaries and capitalisation. These issues sometimes make the reader pause. Practise building accurate sentences with one clear main clause, then add subordinate clauses, and proofread agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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