Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-02

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 6.5)

In modern era, the majority of smaller local stores have closed due to the fact that consumers prefer to buy products from large supermarkets or malls. Although convenience stores can be a good option for close proximity household items; in my view, this is a positive development because bigger shopping centres can offer wider variety of choices of one type of item and purchasing multiple goods under the same building.

First and foremost, individuals can choose the particular kind of item they need. Different items come in multiple choices from various companies, ranging from luxury to affordable products. For example, when a consumer wants to buy an household appliance such as refrigerator, they can make several choices from products like Hisense, Thermocool or LG. For this reason, smaller local stores may not offer this variety of options.

Furthermore, people can acquire all they want at a spot. Buying all you need under one roof can save time and energy of moving from one local shop to another. However, local shopping can allow households buy essential items due to close proximity, they cannot offer wider range of products. Individuals will have to move from one shop to another when they want to buy goods in larger quantities and may have to purchase the quality available. For instance, a person may get toothpaste in on small shop and have to drive further to another shop to buy bread.

In conclusion, I am of the opinion that this is a positive development. This is because large supermarkets give customers the multiple selections for an item and also shopping at a spot which saves stress.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by clearly taking a position that the closure of local shops in favor of large malls is a positive development. The main ideas are relevant and generally easy to follow, but some development is uneven. For instance, the discussion on product variety is clear, giving specific brand examples like Hisense and LG, which shows the beginnings of band 7 qualities. However, other arguments are slightly repetitive or under-developed, particularly when discussing the convenience of finding everything under one roof compared to local shops. To reach the next level, all main ideas need to be fully extended and supported with consistent depth throughout every body paragraph without relying on repetitive reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear central topic maintained throughout the text. Progression is visible, as the writer moves logically from an introductory position statement to distinct body paragraphs covering product variety and one-stop shopping convenience, followed by a summary conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct points. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'First and foremost', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion', displaying mechanical cohesion typical of this level. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes slightly faulty, such as the abrupt contrast in 'However, local shopping can allow households...', which interrupts the logical flow. Achieving a higher band requires more flexible, seamless cohesion and clearer referencing rather than relying on standard formulaic connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their ideas about shopping habits effectively. There is an attempt to use less common items and specific subject vocabulary, such as 'consumers', 'proximity', 'appliances', and 'quantities'. However, there are some noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'buy an household appliance' instead of 'a household appliance', 'at a spot' instead of 'in one place', and 'in on small shop' instead of 'in one small shop'. These lexical errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the writing from achieving a higher score. To improve, the writer should focus on precise word choices, correct articles, and natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating adequate structural control. Complex sentence attempts are present, such as conditional and concessive clauses introduced by 'Although' and 'due to the fact that'. There are some grammatical and punctuation errors present, such as missing articles ('buy an household appliance'), preposition errors ('under the same building' instead of 'in the same building'), and a punctuation slip in the introduction with a misplaced semicolon before 'in my view'. Nonetheless, these errors are sporadic and rarely impede communication. To move up to the next band, the writer needs to produce a higher frequency of error-free sentences using a wider variety of sophisticated complex structures with consistent accuracy.

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

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