Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-11

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)

It is a fact that in this day and age many individuals prefer buying things from large shopping centres rather than from local market and because of this situation these shops have been closed. Some people think that this is a positive development while others think that it has a negative impact. However, I think this condition is more favourable rather than detrimental. My preference is justified further in the ensuing paragraphs.

The foremost argument that I would like to put forward is that purchasing items from malls is time savvy. For example, If an individual wants to buy different things and if he go to the local shop he might not find all things at the same store, on the contrary he will find all items in one single mall. Moreover, Building large shopping centres would increase employment of that region.

Furthermore, this development would enhance the infrastructure of that region. This is a fact that shopping centres and malls requires less space than many individual shops and building this centres helps in utilizing this space for more meaningful purposes. Also, this would attract more people and tourists from various locations to come and visit this place and it will ultimately boost the regions economy.

However, One can not deny that people who are earning by selling from these local shops would loose their businesses and will suffer from major financial losses.

In summary, although reduction in local businesses might cause a bigger financial loss for some people, I think advantages like more local employment, good infrastructure and fostering economy would have greater impact.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the shift toward shopping malls is a positive development. The ideas are relevant, focusing on convenience, employment, and infrastructure. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For instance, the claim that malls increase employment and improve infrastructure is asserted without concrete evidence or deeper explanation. The counter-argument regarding local shop owners is acknowledged but remains brief. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed examples or logical chains of reasoning to support your claims, rather than listing several points in a general manner. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The foremost argument', 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'However'. While these transitions are functional, some are used in a slightly mechanical way. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the transition between the benefits of malls and the mention of infrastructure could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Overall, the essay is easy to follow, but the use of cohesive devices could be more sophisticated and varied to improve the flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at using less common vocabulary, such as 'detrimental' and 'favourable'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'time savvy' (should be 'time-saving'), 'loose' instead of 'lose', and 'building this centres' (grammatical error). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of collocations and ensuring accurate word forms 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 that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('if he go to the local shop', 'malls requires'), incorrect pluralization ('building this centres'), and punctuation errors (missing commas after introductory phrases). These errors are noticeable but do not impede overall communication. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent use of articles and plural forms. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will also help elevate your score.

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

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