Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-05

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)

Nowadays, in the world shopping by using online sites are growing very much. Therefore, one day the growth of this trend will result of closing all shops in rural and urban areas. Even though I agree with this statement, there is other point which also describe my disagreement about this statement. In this essay I will discuss few reasons for my opinion.

On the one hand, I think shops might not totally going to close because there are many products which people prefer to buy it from the shops such as electronic items such as Air conditioner, Washing machine and other expensive products. These type of products need assurance and quality check before purchase, therefore people may not going to buy it all from online market.

On the other hand, doing shopping online is more convenient way to purchase a product. In simple words, people do not have to think about time, weather condition and transportation. They can easily buy a product at anytime, anywhere. For example, all sites remain open all the time such as Myntra and Amazon.

Secondly, the product is more affordable as compare to the shops. To simplify, in shops businessmen add some additional charges for their profit, which makes it costlier than online site. This is also the reason to shift from local shopping to online shopping. For instance, some clothing items are very cheaper than actual market price which attract the people to buy it from online site.

In conclusion, buying expensive product from local store still might continue in future because of its price. However, I firmly agree with statement because the convenience and affordable products online market provides are the main reasons for my opinion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially, attempting to present arguments for both sides of the prompt regarding the future closure of physical shops. However, the position is somewhat confusingly presented in the introduction, where the writer states, 'Even though I agree with this statement, there is other point which also describe my disagreement,' creating mixed messages about their stance before clarifying a leaning towards agreement later. Ideas are presented but remain limited and under-developed. For instance, the mention of products needing assurance and quality checks is not fully explained or supported with robust examples. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to clearly establish a consistent position from the start and extend their main arguments with deeper explanations rather than relying on brief generalisations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay displays some basic organisation with paragraph breaks and some transitional markers such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Secondly.' However, there is a lack of clear overall progression, and the logical flow between paragraphs is hampered by abrupt shifts in focus. Cohesive devices are sometimes inadequate, inaccurate, or repetitive, such as the frequent reliance on 'To simplify' or mechanical structural transitions. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, particularly when pronouns like 'it' are misused or disconnected from their referents. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal paragraph cohesion needs to be strengthened by better linking sentences together so the progression of ideas feels natural and seamless rather than disjointed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message of the essay. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'transportation,' 'affordable,' and 'assurance,' but there are noticeable errors in word choice, form, and collocation that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Examples include phrasing like 'shopping by using online sites are growing very much,' 'result of closing,' and describing items as 'very cheaper.' Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical control lacks precision and flexibility. To improve, the student should focus on accurate word formation, natural collocations, and avoiding repetitive or overly simplistic phrasing throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic complex forms. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to noticeable structural errors. There are frequent grammatical errors involving subject-verb agreement, such as 'shopping by using online sites are growing,' article usage, and prepositions within grammatical patterns. Other structural issues include awkward verb phrases such as 'might not totally going to close' and 'may not going to buy it all.' Punctuation is basic, and frequent structural mistakes can cause some difficulty for the reader. Expanding the repertoire of grammatical structures and ensuring tighter control over basic agreement and verb tenses will significantly elevate this aspect.

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