Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-08

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 6.0)

In the 21st century of technology era, individuals are more leaning more towards large shopping malls instead of small local businesses. I partly agree with the statement. In this essay, I am going to explore the negative and positive trends of this issue.

In today's world, folks are running after branded products instead of local products that has severely impacted the small businesses. For example, people wants to buy branded watches, not local brand watches even though they works same, i.e. tell time. This not only impact the income of customers, but negatively impact local shops also in terms of financial terms. Moreover, local businesses needs financial stability to grow, but if they have not given proper opportunities many will die who could become the international brand and may give tough competition to popular brand.

On the other hand, I think this can be a positive development too. Firstly, the products folks buy from malls are more authentic and comes with the receipt, whereas the products from small businesses may sometimes not come with receipts means they cannot file any case against them without proper proof. Secondly, goods purchased from large shopping centres have warranty means they can be replaced or repaired for free, while local shop goods do not have any warranty. Lastly, large brands are tend to give back to society thus, that give several welfare programmes for the welfare of public.

To recapitulate, I believe that this can be a positive as well as negative trend. Looking at the authentic products large malls have lead in it, whereas buying the same stuff for less price, small businesses are one step ahead.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument, discussing the negative impact on local businesses and the perceived benefits of large shopping centres. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the claim that local shops do not provide receipts or warranties is a broad generalization that lacks nuance. While the position is clear, the arguments could be more effectively supported with more realistic examples or deeper analysis. The essay covers all parts of the prompt, but the depth of the discussion is limited, keeping it within the Band 6 range.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Lastly', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the logical progression within paragraphs is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing. For example, the final paragraph attempts to summarize but ends with a somewhat confusing comparison between authenticity and price. The overall structure is coherent, but the flow between sentences could be improved for better cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at more sophisticated language, such as 'financial stability' and 'welfare programmes'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'running after branded products' and 'large brands are tend to give back'. These errors do not impede communication, but they highlight a limited range of vocabulary that prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'people wants to buy', 'local businesses needs', 'products... comes with') and article usage. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar structures are noticeable. The range of complex structures is limited, and the accuracy is inconsistent, which is characteristic of a Band 5.5 or 6.0 performance.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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