Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-11

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 7.0)

Due to advancement of technology the trend of online shopping has increased significantly. Where, it is argued my many people that this trend will shut down all small business in towns and cities in future. I do not agree with this statement. Although online shopping has various advantages to the society, offline shopping continues to offer unique benefits that online platform cannot fully replicate. This essay will shed some light on all the reasons in upcoming paragraphs.

To commence with, it is widely accepted that the growth of e-commerce has brought numerous benefits to the society. The first and the foremost benefit is convenience. To elaborate more, people can buy anything from online platforms such as, Amazon, Flipkart, Shein in just few clicks which saves not only their travel expenses but also their time to visit to the shops. In addition to that, these platforms provide competitive prices, and discount offers as compared to the offline market which influence people to buy online rather than offline. For instance, most of the time some platforms like Amazon and Flipkart give seasonal sales offer on special occasions like Diwali, Christmas and New year which emphasize pupils to do shopping and because of offers they do not buy only one item they spend impulsive money because of events.

However, I disagree with this idea that the growth of e-commerce will lead to disappearance of traditional stores. Firstly, some products need to be experienced in-person before purchase regarding clothes, shoes and furniture. People want to try out the cloth first to check if the color suits them or not. Also, they could check the quality of clothes by touching and feeling the smoothness, softness of cloth. Secondly, physical shops provide immediate access to products and face-to-face customer experience. People can take an item home immediately without waiting several days for delivery. It is also a social activity for people to visit shops to roam around and eat outside with their friends and family.

In conclusion, undoubtedly the growth of online shopping has increased because of its convenience and competitive pricing. Nevertheless, physical shops will remain necessary for customers who value personal service, immediate purchases and the experience of shopping in person.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position against the idea that all physical shops will close. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples such as the need to try on clothes and the social aspect of shopping. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the explanation of 'impulsive money' is slightly unclear, and the argument could be strengthened by discussing the potential for physical stores to adapt (e.g., experiential retail). Overall, the position is consistent throughout, and the main ideas are well-focused on the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the advantages of online shopping from the reasons why physical stores will persist. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'In addition to that', and 'Nevertheless' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the use of 'this idea' which could be more precisely linked to the previous sentence. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some good topic-specific terms like 'e-commerce', 'competitive pricing', and 'impulsive money'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'emphasize pupils' (should be 'encourage consumers') and 'spend impulsive money' (should be 'make impulsive purchases'). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. The student uses common vocabulary effectively but struggles slightly with more complex collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'advancement of technology' (missing article), 'argued my many people' (typo for 'by'), and 'in just few clicks' (missing article). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and phrasing issues, such as 'to visit to the shops'. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. The student shows a reasonable command of grammar, but more consistent accuracy in articles and prepositions is needed for a higher score.

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