Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-27
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 5.0)
In the modern world, the trend of shopping in large malls has been increased significantly, which caused closer of many small local shops. While big shopping malls are convenient and offers huge discount over products, local shops also play an vital role when it comes to small daily needs. Therefore, I believe it is a negative development and reasons will be elaborates in this essay.
On the one hand, shopping at malls is convenient and time-saving. It enable individual to receive all goods under one roof. For example, time required for moving shop to shop can be used for other purposes. Moreover, due to strong competition among brands, heavy discount are always witnessed. For example,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, reaching only 115 words. This severely limits your ability to develop your ideas. While you state a clear position that the trend is a negative development, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. Because the task is not fully addressed due to the lack of length and the failure to complete the argument, the score is restricted. To improve, you must ensure you provide a full introduction, two well-developed body paragraphs with supporting examples, and a conclusion to meet the minimum length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay shows some basic organizational structure with an introduction and the start of a body paragraph. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'Moreover' to link ideas. However, because the response is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence, the overall progression is interrupted. Paragraphing is attempted, but the lack of a full essay structure makes it difficult to assess your ability to manage a complete argument. To improve, focus on completing your thoughts and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting evidence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas, such as 'modern world', 'convenient', and 'strong competition'. However, there are several errors in word form and collocation, such as 'caused closer' (should be 'caused the closure') and 'an vital role' (should be 'a vital role'). These errors are noticeable but do not fully impede communication. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring correct word forms, while also incorporating a wider variety of topic-specific vocabulary related to urban development and economics.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('malls... offers', 'discount are') and article usage errors ('an vital role'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent. You need to pay closer attention to basic grammar rules, particularly pluralization and subject-verb agreement. Practicing proofreading your work for these common errors will help improve your accuracy and overall score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.