Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The growth of online shopping will one day lead to all shops in towns and cities closing.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.5)

In the modern era, purchasing through online platforms are increasing day by day. A group of people have a opinion that this development will lead to closure of physical shops. Even though, the online shopping helps us in many ways, In my perspective, I believe that the shops will not disappear in the future.

First of all, there are many individuals in our society who prefer to shop products such as clothing from the stores, because they need to experience them before the purchase has been made. Moreover, such people need to do fit checks by trials to get a perfect fitting, which is not applicable in online shopping. For instance, it is found that most of the athletes prefer to shop their sports wear from the stores to get maximum comfort by trying all the alternatives available rather than get something from online.

In addition, going for shopping is not only buying a particular product, but also spending some quality time with others. For example, if a family is going for shopping , in the mean time they are spending some time together which makes their relationship stronger. In a retail shop there will be other customers, sales persons and many others, hence beyond shopping they also get a chance to socialise with them.

In conclusion, the online shopping help us in different ways by saving time, however, the physical shops teach us importance of viewing and checking product physically before buying it and also it is one of the best place to interact with others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against the total closure of physical shops. The ideas are relevant, focusing on the tactile nature of shopping and the social aspect of retail. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the argument about socialising could be expanded to include the economic or community-building roles of local businesses. While the position is consistent, the essay would benefit from a more nuanced exploration of why online shopping might not completely replace physical stores, perhaps by discussing the limitations of logistics or the 'experience economy'. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and punctuation, such as the comma usage in 'Even though, the online shopping helps us in many ways, In my perspective...'. Despite these minor flaws, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'socialise' and 'alternatives'. However, there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'do fit checks by trials' and 'get something from online'. These do not impede communication, but they highlight a need for more precise collocation. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary and ensuring that word choices are contextually accurate and idiomatic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('purchasing... are increasing', 'online shopping help us') and article usage ('the closure of physical shops' vs 'the importance of viewing'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the writer's argument. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and refining the use of articles and prepositions to ensure greater accuracy in complex sentences.

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