Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-21
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 5.5)
In recent times, shopping patterns has been changed a lot. Many individuals opt for online shopping instead of physical purchase and the popularity has risen significantly. Some people believe that online shopping trend will shut down the shops in the metropolitan areas. I firmly agree with the notion that there is a hype in online shopping but I think this trend will not entirely replace the physical shops in cities.
The main reason of the growth of online shopping is its convenience. People have opportunity to explore different things anytime and anywhere. Moreover, they can compare the prices on thousand of platforms and choose items according to their budget and need while scroling on their couch. This helps them to utilise time effectively.
However, some people think this popularity will lead to close all the shops in towns because people will no longer interested in physical shoppings. Undoubtely, online shopping has risen but the experience people recieved during in person purchase will not replace in near future. Many individuals spend thier hard earned money by analizing items personally and check their quality before purchase. This curiosity among people will help businesses to keep thier physical identity alive.
I believe, shopping is important for everyone and people will choose both platforms for thier purchases according to their needs.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that online shopping will not fully replace physical stores. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the main reasons for online shopping growth are mentioned, the discussion regarding why physical shops will survive is somewhat superficial. To improve, you should expand on your points with more detailed examples or counter-arguments to ensure the response is fully developed and meets the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central idea. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'Undoubtely' to link your thoughts. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'this trend', 'these platforms') is consistently clear throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'metropolitan areas' and 'physical purchase'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'scroling', 'recieved', 'thier', and 'analizing'. Additionally, some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'there is a hype in online shopping'. To improve, focus on accuracy in spelling and try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'shopping patterns has been changed' (subject-verb agreement), 'lead to close all the shops' (incorrect verb form), and 'people will no longer interested' (missing auxiliary verb). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your argument. To improve, pay closer attention to verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of infinitives after 'lead to'.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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