Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-07

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)

Nowadays, people are preferring to do their shopping from large shopping centers or malls instead of small local shops leads to closing of tiny shops. I believe this is a positive development for both customers and the society.

The main benefits of shopping from malls are availability of all shopping items at single place with special offers and discounts. People don't need to visit every small shop and different area in searching of perfect shopping like costumes, home appliances and electronics. For example, the large shopping center provides all the facilities at one place, so it allows customers to buy things with their comfort. Additionally, big malls and centers also provide big offers and discounts on specials occasions such as, replacements, special gifts or vouchers. For instance, on the Diwali, numerous offers on mobile exchange, furniture, garments and home appliances are available. Moreover, it saves customers time as all the facilities are available at a single place resulting people can do shopping as per their convenience.

However, there are certain drawbacks of shopping from the large centers. People purchase extra things regardless of their need due to special offers and discounts. Furthermore, it can negatively impact on local shops holders, because it can reduce the customers in local shops.

To conclude, although large shopping centers adversely affect local shops, it allows customers to do shopping at a single place and take advantages for special discounts and offer without wasting of the time. Overall, it is a positive development for both customers and society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the shift toward large shopping centres is a positive development. The main ideas—convenience, variety, and discounts—are relevant. However, the development is somewhat limited. While you mention the impact on local shops, this point is underdeveloped and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are explored with more specific, extended examples. The conclusion restates your position, but the overall argument could benefit from a more nuanced discussion of the societal impact beyond just consumer convenience.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'For instance', and 'However' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the negative impact on local shop holders and the overall conclusion could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a strong, singular focus will help improve the flow of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'convenience', 'facilities', and 'adversely affect'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'searching of perfect shopping' (should be 'searching for the perfect shopping experience') and 'local shops holders' (should be 'local shop owners'). Some phrasing is slightly unnatural, which limits the precision of your expression. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary to convey your ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'people are preferring' (should be 'people prefer'), 'leads to closing' (should be 'leading to the closure'), and 'on the Diwali' (should be 'during Diwali'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and pluralization, such as 'at single place' (should be 'at a single place'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency and accuracy of the writing.

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