Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-25
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 6.0)
In recent years, it has been discovered that the rapid growth of online shopping will eventually lead to the closure of physical stores in the towns and the cities. I totally disagree with this view, because some people prefer face to face shopping and not all businesses can be replaced by online services.
I firmly believe that the high rise of e-commerce cannot affect some individuals to patronize the physical stores because they prefer to see and touch what they want to purchase rather than ordering online doubting how the goods would look like. For instance, a customer that wants to buy a dress, he would want to test fit the dress to be sure the cloth will look good on him rather than purchasing through online that the wrong size would be packaged delivered.
Furthermore, the reason why the local shops cannot be closed because of the growth of e-commerce is due to some services could not be carried out online such as the salons and the medical services. Although, the things needed to make a hair can be purchase online but the person has to appear physically for the hair to be fixed. Applicable to the medical services too. The drugs to administered can be order online but the person with the health issues must be present if he wants to be cured.
In conclusion, e-commerce saves the stress of traveling to purchase an item, but it cannot lead to the closing of the physical shops because of some customers who prefer to see what they want to buy in person and also due to some businesses that cannot be replaced by online services.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The arguments regarding the sensory experience of shopping and the necessity of physical presence for services like salons are relevant and well-supported. However, the development is somewhat limited; while the ideas are clear, they could be extended further with more sophisticated analysis or broader examples to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, ensuring the response is fully on-topic and addresses all parts of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Although', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there is occasional awkwardness in the flow between sentences, such as in the second paragraph where the connection between the example and the main point could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'e-commerce' and 'patronize'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural word choices or phrasing, such as 'test fit the dress' or 'make a hair'. While these do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. A more varied and precise vocabulary would enhance the quality of the arguments.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the towns and the cities'), verb forms ('the drugs to administered can be order'), and prepositions ('purchasing through online'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the intended meaning. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice constructions. The control of complex structures is inconsistent, which limits the score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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