Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-18
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 contemporary society, a significant number of individuals want to look stylish and attractive and for that they spend a lot of money on shopping. For some shopping is a therapy. Recent surveys suggest that majority of people spend more on shopping than on eating healthy food. Moreover, shoppers are now more attractive towards online shopping than go out and purchase. This essay will analyze whether online shopping can be the reason of closing physical shops in cities.
Shopping online has number of advantages including a shoppes can place order whatever and whenever he wants. For instance, he does not have to wait for the physical shop to open and visit the store and purchase. Moreover, a number of brands use the discount tactics to elevate their sale if a person shops online from their app. For example, they offer discount on articles or give the discounted code that may give them 10% or sometimes 20% discount, or sometimes they offer free home delivery. Furthermore, during any festive occasion a buyer does not have to wait in a long queue for billing instead on a single tap he receives the order on his door steps.
To some extend online shopping has an impact on physical shops but it will not lead to closing of shops in towns and cities. A considerable number of people still like to go out and shop. Because most of the time online shopping is a scam. For instance, on website they show the article and when a buyer received the order the article was entirely changed as shown, this can be the size or the color of the product. Moreover, a person can spend a quality time with his family or friends when he is buying form the shops, because in addition to shopping they can have snacks and do some activity which is beneficial for mental health.
In my perspective, as the world going digital and everything is on our fingertips but people stills prefer to purchase from shops. However, with the increase demand of online shopping small businesses are also going online and sale their product. It is very early to conclude that physical shops would close and online shopping will take over.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both sides of the argument regarding the potential closure of physical shops due to online shopping, taking a clear stance that physical shops will not close entirely. The writer introduces relevant ideas, such as the convenience of online shopping versus the social and sensory benefits of visiting physical stores, alongside issues like online scams. However, the development of these ideas is sometimes limited and lacks depth or specific external examples, tending towards broad generalisations. For instance, the claim that online shopping is frequently a scam is stated without robust support. Despite these minor limitations in development, all parts of the task are addressed adequately, and a clear position is maintained throughout, fitting the Band 6.5 profile.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement and logical progression of ideas. Paragraphing is utilised adequately, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs dealing with distinct aspects of the prompt, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'moreover', 'furthermore', and 'for instance', although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive in structure. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional awkward phrasing affects the smooth flow between sentences. Overall, the organizational structure meets the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'contemporary society', 'discount tactics', and 'festive occasion'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and incorrect word forms throughout the text. Examples include 'shoppes' instead of shoppers, 'attractive towards' instead of attracted to, 'discounted code' instead of discount code, and 'sale their product' instead of sell their product. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they restrict the vocabulary score to a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some ambition in sentence structures. However, frequent grammatical errors are present across the text, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, and prepositions. Examples include 'majority of people spend' (missing article), 'can place order whatever and whenever he wants' (awkward clause structure), 'buying form the shops' (typographical error), and 'as the world going digital' (missing auxiliary verb). Although the meaning remains generally clear, the density of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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