Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-03

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)

It is often argued that online shopping will lead to close all the offline shops in towns and cities some day. I completely disagree with this perspective because, although online shopping is growing fast but physical shops offer more advantages then the online shopping.

One of the reason I disagree on this is people prefer buying things by the look and feel of the product. This is important when purchasing clothes, shoes, furniture and electronic devices. For example, buying shoes online through amazon where users can only see photographs and description of the product. Also, the size mentioned in the description of the website will always not match the size of the shoes an individual would wear. So, it does not provide the same experience when you visit local shops and feel the comfort by trying them on. Therefore humans prefer buying from local shops over online shopping.

Another reason is that shops provide instant customer service and the product while when the purchase is made online, people often wait for several days to get their product delivered at home. For instance, if there are any defects, humans have start return or replacement of the product which additionally can take more 7-10 days before they get the replaced product. In contrast, local shops can instantly replace the product if there are any issues.

In conclusion, online shopping will reduce the number of traditional shops in near future but I do not believe that it will close all the shops in towns and cities. Physical store provide experiecne, personal service and access to all the products that online shopping will cannot fully replace.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear, well-maintained position throughout. The writer disagrees with the notion that all traditional shops will close, supporting this stance with relevant arguments regarding physical interaction and customer service. Ideas are generally extended and supported, such as the example of buying shoes and the comparison of return processes. However, there is a slight tendency to over-generalize in places, such as stating that 'humans prefer buying from local shops', which keeps the response within this band rather than reaching a higher level of fully developed, nuanced argumentation. To move further, the writer could explore broader economic or social impacts rather than relying solely on personal convenience.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organization and progression throughout the essay. The introduction establishes a definite stance, and each body paragraph is clearly dedicated to a distinct supporting reason, moving smoothly from product evaluation to customer service. Cohesive devices are used flexibly, such as transitional phrases like 'One of the reason', 'Another reason', and 'In contrast', which help guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each major point housed in its own well-structured paragraph. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional mechanical transitions prevent the cohesion from being entirely seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'offline shops', 'electronic devices', 'customer service', and 'replacement'. However, there are noticeable limitations in lexical precision and occasional word-choice errors, such as 'lead to close' instead of 'lead to the closure of', and 'experiecne' due to a spelling slip. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but awkward collocations and minor word-formation errors appear throughout the text, such as 'have start return or replacement'. To improve, the writer should focus on precise word forms, natural collocations, and a wider variety of sophisticated lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating the ability to construct multi-clause sentences using subordinating conjunctions like 'although', 'because', and 'while'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors in sentence structures, articles, and prepositions, such as 'One of the reason' (singular/plural mismatch), 'will always not match' (adverb placement), and 'take more 7-10 days' (missing preposition). While these errors do not seriously impede communication, they persist throughout the text and prevent the sentences from achieving the consistent accuracy and control seen at higher band levels. Improving grammatical consistency and article use would significantly enhance this criterion.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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