Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The rapid growth of online shopping has raised concerns about the future of traditional shops in towns and cities. Online shopping has its own advantages and disadvantages. This essay talks about current online shopping trends, how people are currently using it and its impact on local shops.

The online shopping trend has drastically increased over last the five years. Most of the items are available online and there are applications that provide fast delivery. Shoppers not only save time by not going to a store but are given other options for the same product. People choose online shopping as its convenient and gives them flexibility of to return if they do not like it. It also helps shoppers to shop for best possible price for same product across different online shopping applications. There is also a possibility of identity theft as it is over the internet.

However, there are some disadvantages to online shopping. Shoppers have to wait for several days or have to pay additional fees if they need an item sooner. Additionally, if the package is lost or damaged they have to go through the hassle of talking to customer service and reordering it. Going to local stores solves some of these problems. In local stores, shoppers can verify the quality of the product and also try on an item to check the fittings. Local stores also generates employment opportunities for the community. Senior citizens prefer shopping at stores as they are not used to online shopping. Due to these advantages, there may be a reduction in local stores but not all shops might shutdown.

In conclusion, there may be an uptick for online shopping but it may not lead to all shops to closing. Local shop owners can benefit if they can find a way to appease online shoppers and lure them to the store.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the growth of online shopping and the future of physical stores. You clearly state your position that not all shops will close. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that local stores generate employment, this point is not fully expanded to explain why this might ensure their survival against online competition. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explored with specific examples or logical reasoning. The introduction is a bit generic; it would be better to state your position clearly in the opening paragraph rather than simply stating what the essay will talk about.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the benefits of online shopping and the mention of identity theft feels abrupt. Furthermore, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'it' in 'it is over the internet', which lacks a specific antecedent. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally from the previous one would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'drastically increased', 'employment opportunities', and 'uptick'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, you write 'gives them flexibility of to return', which is grammatically awkward, and 'shop for best possible price', which should be 'shop for the best possible price'. You also use 'shutdown' as a verb, whereas 'shut down' (two words) is the correct form. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that your word choices are precise and contextually appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'over last the five years' (word order), 'its convenient' (should be 'it is' or 'it's'), and 'Local stores also generates' (subject-verb agreement error). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and phrasing issues, such as 'flexibility of to return'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex structures are formed correctly.

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.