Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-15

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)

It is often argued that the growth of online shopping will eventually result in all shops in towns and cities closing down. Although online shopping offers greater convenience and competitive prices, I disagree with this view because physical shops provide personal services and allow customers to examine products before purchasing them.

One major reason why I disagree is that many customers still prefer shopping in physical stores because they can see and try products before buying them. This is particularly important when purchasing clothes, shoes, furniture or electronic devices, as customers may want to check the quality and suitability of a product. Although online shopping can save time, physical store provide customers with an opportunity to receive immediate assistance from sales staff. For example, a customer buying a pair of shoes can try different sizes and receive advise from an employee before making a decision.

Another reason is that certain businesses cannot operate effectively without physical locations. Restaurants, hair salons, repair shops require customers t visit their premises. Moreover, local shops often provide service that cannot easily be replaced by inline platforms, As a result they likely to remain important in towns and cities. For instance, people may prefer visiting a local bakery or restaurant rather than ordering every product online.

In conclusion, although the growth of online shopping may lead to the closure of some traditional shops, I disagree that it will cause all shops in towns and cities to disappear. Physical stores will continue to play an important role because they offer personal assistance, immediate service and experiences that online shopping cannot fully provide.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response clearly addresses the prompt and maintains a consistent position throughout. The student presents a well-developed argument, categorizing reasons into the sensory experience of shopping and the necessity of physical services like hair salons. The ideas are relevant and supported by clear examples, such as trying on shoes or visiting a bakery. The response fully answers the question by explaining why the total closure of physical shops is unlikely. The structure is logical, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To reach a higher band, the student could further elaborate on the economic or social nuances of the shift toward online retail to provide even greater depth.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'One major reason', 'Moreover', and 'For instance' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, there are minor issues with punctuation, such as the comma splice in 'As a result they likely to remain important in towns and cities' and the missing comma after 'inline platforms'. Despite these small mechanical errors, the overall organization is clear and coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms such as 'competitive prices', 'physical stores', 'immediate assistance', and 'online platforms'. There is an attempt to use a range of vocabulary, though some phrasing is slightly repetitive. There are a few minor errors, such as 'advise' (should be the noun 'advice') and the typo 'inline' (likely meant 'online'). However, these errors do not impede communication. To improve, the student should aim for more sophisticated collocations and avoid minor spelling slips to demonstrate a more precise command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The student uses complex sentences effectively with subordinating conjunctions like 'although' and 'because'. However, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'physical store provide' (subject-verb agreement error), 'customers t visit' (typo), and 'they likely to remain' (missing verb 'are'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause difficulty for the reader or impede the overall meaning. The punctuation is generally functional, though the aforementioned comma splice and missing commas slightly detract from the accuracy. Increasing the variety of complex structures would help elevate the score.

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