Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-27

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)

In today’s world, people are increasingly leaning towards buying things online rather than visiting a physical location. While there are many reasons for the change in consumers’ trends, I have a mixed opinion when it comes to the topic of traditional shopping practices disappearing completely as the time passes on. Let’s discuss this further.

To begin with, the presentation of items in online shopping is more informative. For example, people prefer seeing clothes on real models rather than mannequins to understand the fit of the outfit better. Moreover, online shopping platforms, due to their bulk-buying habits, very often come up with discounted offers on goods, which is always easy on the pocket of the consumers. An added flexibility of easy returns and exchanges of products seals the deal for most of the consumers looking for that particular ease of access.

On the other hand, some users find in-store shopping easy as they find the personal touch an important part of buying products that they don’t want an error in. For instance, some people like to check the quality of the cloth and want the option to wear an outfit before making the decision to buy it. If we are talking about fashion, let us also keep in mind the fast sales of new designs on the websites, and not enough time for every consumer to check them out before the stock ends.

After taking in consideration the points discussed above, I think one can safely say that even though the rise of online sales is changing long standing traditional shopping practices, people with different views on the topic will always be co-existing in almost every environment, which will make it necessary for the traditional system to continue even in the near future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the rise of online shopping and the reasons why physical stores might persist. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention 'bulk-buying habits' and 'personal touch,' these points could be expanded with more specific real-world examples or deeper analysis of economic trends. The position is clear, but the conclusion is slightly repetitive. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more thorough exploration of the implications of the shift to online retail rather than just listing features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages of online shopping from the benefits of physical stores. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Moreover,' and 'On the other hand' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though the final sentence is a bit wordy, which slightly impacts the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'traditional shopping practices,' 'flexibility,' and 'co-existing.' There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'easy on the pocket of the consumers' (which is idiomatic but slightly informal) and 'check the quality of the cloth' (where 'fabric' would be more precise). While you attempt to use some less common vocabulary, the overall range is somewhat limited. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated academic collocations and precise terminology related to retail and consumer behavior.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and easy to follow, and errors in grammar and punctuation are infrequent and do not impede communication. For example, 'people with different views on the topic will always be co-existing' is grammatically acceptable but could be more concisely phrased. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'as the time passes on' (should be 'as time passes'). Overall, you show good control, but incorporating a wider variety of complex grammatical structures would elevate the score.

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.