Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-06

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 today' s world with increasing internet traffic, thousands of e-commerce websites have emerged globally. A question troubles our mind whether these websites will cause the absolute closure of tradional businesses. In this essay I will discuss the views of people on online and traditional stores and give my opion on why I disagree with the statement.

On the one side people argue that online stores provide convenience. People are able to order the essentials whenever needed in few finger touches. In addition, these platforms provide its users with a wide variety of options. The options give customers the best in terms of quality and price. A clear illustration of this is Amazon. Amazon provides it customers goods at resonable rates as well as thousands of options. Also gives weekly discounts and provides free deliveries with as little inconvenience as possible.

While on the other hand, people in support of tradional stores argue that these stores provide exceptional customer service. Sales assosciates undertstand the needs of a customer and provide expertise in best interests of the customer.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You introduce the topic and state a clear position: “I disagree with the statement.” You also present relevant points about convenience and the service offered by traditional shops. However, the response addresses the task only partially: it does not explain why physical shops will continue to exist despite online growth, and the traditional-store point is left without an example or further explanation. The Amazon example supports the benefits of online shopping, but it does not develop your disagreement with the prediction that all shops will close. The response is also 73 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop your reasons. To strengthen the answer, explain your position directly and support each reason with a specific example or consequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction is followed by a paragraph about online shopping and one about traditional stores. Linking phrases such as “In addition” and “On the one side” help signal relationships between ideas. However, the overall progression is incomplete: the final paragraph introduces customer service but does not connect this point back to your stated disagreement or reach a conclusion. The contrast markers “On the one side” and “While on the other hand” are also awkwardly paired, and the second paragraph ends abruptly. Develop a clear sequence—state a reason, explain it, give an example, and link it to your position—and add a concluding paragraph to make the argument feel complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “e-commerce websites,” “wide variety of options,” “customer service,” and “Sales associates.” These choices make the subject clear, and phrases such as “exceptional customer service” show an attempt to be precise. However, several spelling errors and awkward word combinations reduce accuracy, including “tradional,” “opion,” “resonable,” and “in few finger touches.” Some expressions are also imprecise, such as “the options give customers the best in terms of quality and price.” Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, for example, “with a few taps” and “compare prices and quality.” A broader range of language for explaining consequences would also help you develop the argument.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some more developed structures, including “whether these websites will cause…” and “Sales associates understand the needs of a customer and provide expertise…”. Most of the meaning remains understandable, but there are errors in sentence construction and grammatical patterns. “Amazon provides it customers” needs a possessive determiner, and “Also gives weekly discounts” is a sentence fragment because it lacks a subject. In “whenever needed in few finger touches,” the article and phrasing pattern are incomplete. There is also inconsistent spacing around punctuation in “today' s.” Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb, and review articles and possessives. More accurate complex sentences would allow you to explain and support your reasons more fully.

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