Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-06
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)
In recent years, so many small businesses have shut down because shoppers are going to shopping malls and hypermarkets for their shopping. It is negative growth, as it is affecting local shop owners' profits and the local economy.
The primary reason is that local shop owners are in danger because they don't make enough profit to continue their businesses. This is because they are not mass-produced items; therefore, they can't sell them below the price at which all shopping malls are selling them. In addition, they cannot make any offers, unlike the giant businesses. For example, shopping malls are giving huge offers to customers every season, which is not affordable for small shop owners.
The secondary reason is the decline in local economic growth. This is because everyone is going to shop at the shopping centers, and there is no growth in the local economy. Moreover, every customer prefers to
go by their own cars, which need parking, which is available at shopping malls. For example, a family going for a monthly shopping would go by car, which is convenient for them, and they prefer to go to a shopping mall rather than a local shop.
In conclusion, the small shops are shutting down as they do not have enough business, and people are going to the big shopping centers or malls. It is a negative development as it affects the gr
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by identifying the closure of small shops as a negative development. However, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence in the conclusion. Furthermore, the word count is 232 words, failing to meet the 250-word minimum requirement. While the ideas regarding economic impact and convenience are relevant, they are not fully developed. The lack of a completed conclusion and the failure to meet the length requirement significantly impact the overall task achievement, as the argument is not fully rounded off.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'For example', and 'Moreover' are used to link ideas. However, the cohesion is somewhat mechanical, and the abrupt ending of the text disrupts the overall flow and coherence of the final paragraph. The referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a finished conclusion makes the overall structure feel incomplete and underdeveloped.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and sophistication. Phrases like 'so many small businesses', 'huge offers', and 'negative growth' are repetitive and somewhat simplistic. There is little attempt to use less common or academic vocabulary. While the meaning is generally clear, the range is limited, and the word choice does not demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise terminology related to economics and consumer behavior.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'they are not mass-produced items' (referring to shops rather than products) and 'everyone is going to shop at the shopping centers'. Punctuation is generally functional, but the incomplete final sentence is a significant error. While the errors do not usually impede communication, the range of structures is limited, and the control over complex sentences is inconsistent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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