Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-08
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 the trend of shopping online can result in shut down of shops in cities and towns. I agree with this because people prefer it due to their busy schedules and it is also cost effective for both consumer and the industry.
In recent times, Online shopping has drastically increased because people do not get enough time to go out and shop. This saves them time and energy, and they can get their desired products delivered at their door step. With the current workload of people, it has been impossible for them to step out and buy things. The online shopping has made life so much easier and less hassle therefore, everyone prefers it. For Instance, The Shein is a huge platform for online shopping where you can get reviews from people with pictures. This has made shopping decisions much easier.
The other major reason for the growth of online shopping is that it is cost effective for both consumer and the brand itself. For example, if most of the brands make an online application for shopping, they can save money on rent and electricity. Similarly, consumer can save the travel expense to go to the mall for shopping. However, one down-side of this is that you cannot check the product quality in person.
In conclusion, the escalating trend of online shopping can lead to closing of shops in the community. This is an agreeable statement because it provides economical benefits to both people and the businesses. Along with that, it is time-saving for the people in the society.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
Your position is clear: you agree that online shopping may lead to shops closing, and you give two relevant reasons—convenience and lower costs for businesses and consumers. The Shein example also helps illustrate how online reviews can support purchasing decisions. However, the response does not fully develop the central prediction that shops will close: it explains why online shopping is attractive, but gives little detail about how this would reduce town-centre sales or force physical stores to shut. The drawback that customers cannot inspect products is mentioned but not connected to your overall argument. To strengthen the response, explain the link between these reasons and shop closures, and consider whether any types of shops might remain.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a conclusion that restates your position. Connectors such as “For example,” “Similarly,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the main points. However, some links are mechanical, and the progression within paragraphs could be clearer. In the first body paragraph, the ideas about limited time, delivery, workload, and convenience repeat one another rather than building towards the effect on physical shops. “However” introduces a drawback, but its relationship to your agreement is not explained. Develop each paragraph around a distinct point and use clearer references to show how each example supports the claim.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main ideas, including “delivered at their door step,” “cost effective,” “rent and electricity,” and “product quality in person.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “escalating trend” and “economical benefits.” However, some expressions are awkward or imprecise, including “shut down of shops,” “the industry,” and “make an online application for shopping.” Repetition of “online shopping,” “people,” and “time” also limits the range. Aim for more natural collocations and precise terms for businesses and retail, while checking word forms and spelling, such as “downside.” This would make the argument clearer and more fluent.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use both simple and more developed sentence forms, including the conditional structure “if most of the brands make an online application … they can save money” and the contrast introduced by “However.” Most sentences communicate their intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “consumer can save” needs an article or plural form, and “The online shopping has made” uses an unnecessary article. The sentence beginning “The online shopping has made life so much easier” also joins two independent ideas with “therefore” without suitable punctuation. Capitalisation is inconsistent after commas and within sentences. Review articles, singular and plural agreement, and punctuation around linking words to improve accuracy.
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.