Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-22

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)

Shopping malls totally changed the shopping style among individuals because of this trend small retailors closed their small busines. Although the local shops have their own significant benefits, shooping malls are preferd by individuals because they offer superior quality products and save time as all the essential store are available under one roof. I consider it to be a positvie trend.

Shopping plaza not only provides various brand options but also save precious time of customers. If people get all the required items in a mall they can save their time and energy. These malls offer almost all the essential products such as clothing, electronics, and grocieries, which provide better shopping experience to shoppers.

time save

near and esy

better price

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You state a clear view—“I consider it to be a positive trend”—and give relevant reasons, including the range of goods in malls and the time and energy customers may save. However, the response addresses the question only partially: it does not explain the effects of local shops closing or develop why the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The notes “time save,” “near and esy,” and “better price” are not expanded into supporting points or examples. The response is also 129 words below the required minimum, leaving the argument substantially incomplete. To strengthen it, explain both the consequences for local communities and the advantages of malls, then support your position with a specific example and a clear conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation: the opening paragraph gives your position and introduces reasons, while the next paragraph focuses on malls’ product range and convenience. Linking phrases such as “Although” and “because” help show relationships between ideas. However, progression is limited, and the second paragraph repeats the convenience point without extending it. The final lines—“time save / near and esy / better price”—are disconnected notes rather than a developed paragraph or conclusion, so the response does not feel complete. Build each paragraph around one main point, explain it, and connect it to the question. Use a concluding sentence to restate your judgement and ensure every idea is presented as a complete sentence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “shopping malls,” “local shops,” “brand options,” “essential products,” and “shopping experience.” These terms make the general subject clear, but the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors reduce accuracy, for example “retailors,” “busines,” “shooping,” “preferd,” “positvie,” and “grocieries.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “changed the shopping style among individuals” and “save precious time of customers.” Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as “changed people’s shopping habits” and “save customers time.” Developing the argument with precise terms for local businesses and community effects would also make your vocabulary more flexible and appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms. For example, “Although the local shops have their own significant benefits, shopping malls are preferred…” uses a subordinate clause, and the sentence beginning “If people get all the required items…” shows an attempt at a conditional structure. However, control is inconsistent. The opening sentence joins two independent ideas without suitable punctuation, and “Shopping plaza not only provides … but also save” has a subject–verb agreement problem. In “all the essential store are available,” the plural noun form is needed, while “which provide” has an unclear grammatical reference. Use full stops to separate complete ideas, check agreement and articles, and proofread sentence structure. More accurate control of these patterns would make your meaning easier to follow.

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