Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-25

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 6.5)

In this fast-paced world, malls can be found at every nook and corner. Now, people prefer large shopping centres or malls to do shopping as a result of which small local shops have shut down. I deem that it is a positive approach and I will enunciate my views further.

There are many views in favor of my stance, the most preponderant one is that going to malls have become status symbol in this contemporary epoch, as masses show off in front of others by doing the same and posting pictures on social media. Moreover, they become center of attraction among their near and dear ones. Another pertinent point is that malls save time of individuals because they can get every commodity under one roof, they need not to go here and there for purchasing items owing to they face lack of time due to their busy schedule, hence malls are considered positive development.

Further reinforcing my views, on certain festivals, malls provide discounts on products which lure customers even all the brands are available inside malls so youngsters prefer to visit mals due to their image-conscious nature. Last but not least, malls provide employment opportunities to everyone because these are huge infrastructures and allow many franchises to open their outlets inside them, eventually these manpower and provide jobs to the jobless people.

In conclusion, malls provide ample benefits and surely these are considered positive development, hence their replacement with small shopping centres is advantageous and these should be opened more and more.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have clearly stated your position that the rise of malls is a positive development and maintained this throughout the essay. You provided several reasons, such as convenience, social status, and employment opportunities. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the point about 'status symbols' and 'posting pictures' is a bit narrow and could have been expanded to discuss the broader cultural shift in consumer behavior. Additionally, the argument regarding employment is a strong point, but it lacks specific examples or deeper analysis of the economic impact on local communities. To reach a higher band, ensure your arguments are more thoroughly explored with concrete examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'Further reinforcing my views', and 'Last but not least' to link your ideas. However, some of these transitions feel a bit mechanical or forced. The flow between sentences within paragraphs is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'owing to they face lack of time'. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that your referencing (e.g., 'these', 'the same') is always clear will help improve the logical flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have attempted to use some sophisticated vocabulary, such as 'preponderant', 'enunciate', and 'contemporary epoch'. While these show an ambition to use a wider range of language, some are used incorrectly or in unnatural collocations. For example, 'preponderant' is rarely used in this context, and 'nook and corner' is a cliché. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'manpower' used as a verb. To improve, focus on using vocabulary that you are confident is natural and appropriate for the context, rather than relying on overly formal or uncommon words that may not fit the sentence structure.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of your ideas. Common issues include subject-verb agreement, missing articles, and awkward sentence construction, such as 'they need not to go here and there' and 'owing to they face lack of time'. While your meaning is generally clear, these errors occur throughout the text. To achieve a higher score, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring that your complex sentences are grammatically sound, particularly regarding the use of prepositions and conjunctions.

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