Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-12
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 5.0)
There is an ongoing debate regarding the growth of online shopping. Proponents argue that buying products online can one day lead to closure of shops in towns and cities. I totally disagree with this argument as this mode of shopping is convenient but also decreasing the trend of physical purchase.
In this era of digitalization, world has become a global market with many brands on your doorstep. They are offering a big variety of food, clothes, groceries, hardware, electronics and even medical supplies. Availability of all these products online saves the time and travelling costs with less hustle. Although online shopping is attractive, it indulges you into unnecessary purchasing of products as its addictive to order from your mobile phone.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 120 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you state your position clearly in the introduction, the body paragraph is underdeveloped. You mention that online shopping is convenient and addictive, but you do not sufficiently link these points to the core question of whether all physical shops will close. To achieve a higher band, you must provide a more detailed argument with specific examples and a conclusion that synthesises your points. The current length prevents a full exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into two short paragraphs, but the lack of length makes it difficult to assess your ability to manage a full-length argument. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Although' and 'In this era of digitalization' to link ideas, which provides a degree of logical flow. However, the progression of ideas is limited by the brevity of the text. To improve, you should aim to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that directly supports your thesis statement.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
You demonstrate a basic range of vocabulary suitable for the topic, such as 'digitalization', 'global market', and 'unnecessary purchasing'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'less hustle' (which is informal and slightly misused; 'less hassle' would be more appropriate) and 'indulges you into' (which is not a standard collocation). The vocabulary is sufficient for the limited content provided, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. Focus on learning more academic collocations and precise terminology related to commerce and urban development.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'world has become' (missing an article: 'the world') and 'as its addictive' (missing the subject: 'as it is addictive'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Additionally, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional clauses or passive voice, to demonstrate greater grammatical control.
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.