Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-29

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 recent years,many of the local vendors have shut down in absence of customers who prefer to shop at the large malls and shopping centres. This is the sign of positive development.

Firstly the large shopping centres and malls are built for the commercial purpose. They have all the products and have different varieties under one roof. One can get different option in quality and price range which is unlikely in small local shop. Many small local shop lacks variation in their product option and have marked up the price of the product . This create a sense of distrust towards the small local shop, which is one of the other reason for people leaning towards larger malls.

Despite of operating in a community for a longer period local shops are slowly being replaced by the large building and malls as a part of the development. Unlike small local shop, large malls provide the premium brands and products. Product authentication can be verified and the quality matches with the price that one pays for it. Large malls and shopping centres have many stores which create less hassle for individual for search for the required product. Hence, customer now prefer convenience and pleasant shopping experience which they get while shopping un a larger malls or shopping centres.

Moreover, large shopping center have many amenities and facilities like parking , washroom for its customers. Customer can shop , eat ,have fun and rest with in a same building which have made them lean towards large shopping malls.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the closure of local shops is a positive development. The ideas are relevant, focusing on variety, convenience, and amenities. However, the development is somewhat limited; the essay focuses almost exclusively on the benefits of malls without acknowledging the potential negative impact on local communities, which would have provided a more balanced and nuanced argument. While the position is clear, the supporting points are somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the 'convenience' aspect. To reach a higher band, you should aim to explore the implications of your argument more deeply rather than listing similar benefits.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'large shopping centres and malls' is used frequently). Some transitions are missing or awkward, such as the start of the second paragraph, which lacks a smooth link to the previous point. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'authentication' and 'amenities', which is positive. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and minor errors, such as 'in absence of customers' (should be 'due to the absence of customers') and 'un a larger malls' (a typo). The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your range of collocations would significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the large shopping centres', 'the small local shop'), pluralization ('many small local shop'), and prepositions ('with in a same building'). These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of articles. The punctuation is generally functional, though there are some spacing issues after commas and periods that should be addressed for a more professional presentation.

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