Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-25

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 5.5)

In past years,a shift in the trend of shopping preferences have been changed significantly.While many local businesses have closed due to the convenience of large shopping complex.I believe large shopping centres provides more benefits so overall it is a positive development.

One major benefit of having acess to large shopping centres is to get wide variety of products options.Nowadays,everything is available under roof where shoppers can easily find variety of products including comparing price with other brands.Therefore,they can easily save money on their selected products which meet their needs.

Another benefit of doing shopping in malls is the convenience it offers.People are more busy than past ,due to which they find malls and large building easy place to explore .They can have shopping from groceries ,electronics,and clothing under one roof whithout going to different outlets.As a result,it saves people time and makes their shopping experinece more valuable.

Last poistive side is to get the benefits of seasonal sales and discounts which shopping malls and branded stores usually offers.Poepl can not only saves moneyt by spending money on discounted items but also meet their favourite shopping targets.Thus,their get satisfied after buying their choice of products as well without spending less.

To sum up,I would like to reirtarte that although local business die out when large shopping malls open ,variety and convenience people get cannot be ignored.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear answer to the question, stating that the growth of large shopping centres is “a positive development,” and support this position with relevant points about product choice, convenience, and discounts. However, these ideas are mostly asserted rather than explained with specific examples or fuller reasoning; for instance, the paragraph on sales does not show how this benefit compares with the effects on local shops. Your conclusion acknowledges that local businesses “die out,” but does not weigh this drawback against the advantages, so the discussion is only partly developed. The response also falls 25 words short of the required minimum. To strengthen the response, develop each main point with a concrete example and briefly address the consequences for local communities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, three body paragraphs present separate benefits, and a conclusion restates your position. Sequencing phrases such as “Another benefit,” “As a result,” and “To sum up” help readers follow the progression. This organisation is effective, though some linking is mechanical, and connections between claims are not always clear. For example, “Therefore, they can easily save money” follows the point about comparing prices, but the explanation could show more explicitly how comparison leads to savings. The final paragraph recognises the closure of local businesses but does not connect this drawback to your overall judgement. Use clearer referencing and develop transitions between ideas to make the argument flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “shopping centres,” “variety of products,” “discounts,” and “local business.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “under one roof” and “shopping experience.” However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause: examples include “acess,” “experinece,” “reirtarte,” and “Poepl.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “products options,” “large building easy place,” and “shopping targets.” Aim to check spelling carefully and learn common collocations for shopping and consumer benefits. More precise phrasing would make your ideas clearer and give your vocabulary greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a cause-and-effect structure with “due to which” and a concluding “although” clause. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, verb forms, and articles occur frequently. For example, “a shift … have been changed” has faulty agreement and verb construction, while “shopping centres provides” uses the wrong verb form. The opening fragment beginning “While many local businesses…” is not joined correctly to the next sentence. Other examples include “People are more busy than past” and “stores usually offers.” These errors sometimes make relationships between ideas harder to follow. Practise building accurate complete sentences first, then check subject–verb agreement and verb forms in longer structures.

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.