Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-13
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 modern era, Most peopl prefer to go in large shopping centre so it completely disappear the business of small shops . In this essay, I will discuss both negative and postive effects of these development in folowiing paragraphs.
On the one side, Most people prefer shopping mall for their shopping beacuse they can easily get what they want. It is not only give them more options but also colours. Secondly, large shopping centre change themselves according to trend . For example, Nike has changed their design with latest one . However, small shops have limited options available. Young people prefer shopping mall because they want to update themselves according to trend . Some shopping centre also put discounts on their products but local shops have fixed prices.
There are some negative effects which can not be neglected.If people prefer to visit only shopping centre then local shops can not survive because they can earn money only from small business. Sometime large shopping centre has same products as local shops. The only difference between them are pricing .People can get same thing at lower price from small shop . Due to this, they can earn some money to get food for their family .
In my opinion, it has both positive or negative effects . It depends on people what they want . So, it is the responsibility of people to balance both things.
In Conclusion, Every people have their own choice where they want to go.Although shopping centre provides some benefits but negative effects of can not be neglected.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both positive and negative effects of the closure of small shops due to shopping malls. The writer adopts a stance, albeit slightly neutral towards the end, stating that it depends on individual preference. Main ideas are present, such as variety, trends, and pricing, but they are underdeveloped and sometimes lack clarity or logical connection. For instance, the mention that malls give people 'more options but also colours' is unclear. The essay does attempt to cover all parts of the task as required, but the support for ideas remains somewhat limited and repetitive, which places it firmly at a Band 5.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is divided into paragraphs, including a clear introduction and conclusion, although the division of body paragraphs and sentence progression can be disjointed. Cohesive devices are attempted (e.g., 'On the one side', 'Secondly', 'However', 'In Conclusion'), but they are sometimes used mechanically or inaccurately. For example, 'On the one side' lacks a corresponding 'On the other side' transition phrase since the subsequent paragraph introduces negative effects differently. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as pronoun usage referring back to ambiguous subjects. There is a discernible organizational structure, but overall progression is hindered by choppy phrasing and repetitive transitions, justifying a Band 5.0 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple terms like 'shopping centre', 'small shops', 'products', and 'prices'. There are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'complete disappear the business' instead of 'completely eliminate the business' or 'disrupt the business'. Spelling and word formation mistakes are also present, such as 'peopl' and 'folowiing'. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey basic ideas regarding the topic, the range is limited and inaccuracies cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning with the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the essay, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Most peopl prefer', 'shopping centre has same products'), missing articles ('in modern era'), and incorrect verb tenses ('It is not only give'). Punctuation and capitalization are also inconsistent. These frequent errors often cause difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from reaching a higher band. The structural range is limited, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to a Band 5.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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