Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-30

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 6.5)

As a 35 year old, living in the United states , I have witnessed the rising trend of online shopping. It works as a boon for someone who hates to go out for shopping to buy products for their basic needs. Based on one of the research papers , 65% of men were happier with this trend as they did not have to wait for their spouses in shopping malls and also did not have to take them for shopping which in turn reduced fuel cost due to travel.

In contrary, this trend has also shown reduction in local shops and businesses to shut down since people stopped going outside to buy products from the shops. Either , the stores had to invest in technology and create websites to market and sell their products or shut the shop down as nobody would turn up to buy their products from store.

I have witnessed this among my peers in recent times ,how everyone buys 90% of their needs online and due to the easy return policies and flexibility to return the product in many stores around most of the areas. For example: My friend had to host a dinner party for 30 people and at one point of time , this was considered to be a heavy task as shopping for decoration, ordering food and sending an invite was a hassle , however with everything online these days ,he managed to get all of the above done in few clicks just two days in advance without stepping out of his house and missing a day at his work.

Furthermore, I firmly believe , that though technological advancement and online shopping has made things more easier , flexible and economic for everyone , It is also important to consider the cons that it brings along with it. Since fewer people go out for shopping physically, it has made people less sociable as they do not interact face-to -face and one study shows that this makes them overall less empathetic towards human behavior and situations they are in. More local shops are closing and are unable to feed their families. Another surprising observation is that the trendiness is somewhere lost due to increase in online shopping , as you will find similar piece of furniture and clothing etc. due to same things seen and bought by everyone on a website.

To conclude I do believe that the increasing trend in online shopping is dangerous for local shops in towns and in my perspective, a balance should be maintained to support technological growth and supporting social behavior and local stores in the city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that online shopping poses a threat to local businesses while acknowledging the benefits of convenience. Your ideas are relevant and supported by personal examples, such as the dinner party scenario. However, the development is somewhat uneven; the argument regarding the social impact and the loss of 'trendiness' is a bit anecdotal and could be more analytical. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are consistently focused on the core question of whether all shops will close, rather than just discussing the pros and cons of online shopping in general.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear central theme. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Furthermore' and 'In contrary' (though this should be 'In contrast'), to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions are slightly awkward, such as starting a paragraph with 'I have witnessed this among my peers'. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression could be smoother with more sophisticated linking words to connect the arguments more tightly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'technological advancement', 'flexibility', and 'empathetic'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'made things more easier' (should be 'easier') and 'the trendiness is somewhere lost'. While you attempt some less common vocabulary, the precision is inconsistent. To improve, focus on using collocations more naturally and avoiding redundant phrasing like 'more easier', which is a grammatical error that also impacts lexical precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'In the United states' (capitalization), 'In contrary' (incorrect preposition), 'made things more easier' (double comparative), and issues with comma placement and article usage. These errors do not impede communication, but they are persistent throughout the text. To achieve a higher band, focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex structures are formed correctly without redundant modifiers.

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