Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-13

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 7.0)

Over the last two decades, there has been a significant rise in online shopping. I completely disagree with the statement that online shopping will lead to the closure of all physical shops in towns and cities. This essay will argue that there are still some businesses such as food, clothing and medicine where people value in-person shopping instead of purchasing online.

One reason why physical shops will survive is that online listings cannot fully show the quality of clothing. Photographs on websites such as Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra often make the colour look different from the real item, and a screen cannot show the texture of the fabric. As a result, customers who care about material and quality prefer to visit stores, where they can touch the cloth and try it on before buying. For example, someone shopping for a wedding saree or a formal suit will usually go to a shop, because a wrong colour or poor fabric would be costly and returns are inconvenient. Therefore, clothing shops will continue to exist in towns and cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you “completely disagree” that online shopping will close all physical shops. You also give a relevant, well-explained example about clothing, including the difficulty of judging colour and fabric online and the value of trying items on. However, the response addresses the task only partially: the introduction promises discussion of food and medicine, but neither is developed, and the essay does not consider other reasons shops may remain. The response is also 177 words, below the required 250, so the argument is too limited to develop the position fully. Extend the discussion with another distinct reason and a specific supporting example, while maintaining your clear stance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The response is easy to follow and has a clear overall progression: an introduction states your position, followed by a paragraph explaining why clothing shops may survive. Linking phrases such as “One reason,” “As a result,” “For example,” and “Therefore” make the relationship between the explanation and example clear. The paragraph also moves logically from the limits of online photographs to customers’ preference for trying clothes in person. To strengthen the organisation further, develop the other reasons announced in the introduction in separate paragraphs, and use transitions to show how each supports your overall disagreement. This would create a fuller progression across the essay rather than relying on one developed supporting point.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a good range of relevant vocabulary with generally appropriate control, including “significant rise,” “physical shops,” “texture of the fabric,” and “inconvenient.” These choices help explain the practical differences between online and in-person shopping. The examples of a “wedding saree” and “formal suit” also make the discussion specific. Some wording is broad or repetitive, particularly “shops,” “shopping,” and “quality,” and “online listings” is less precise than the context requires. Aim for more varied, exact terms when discussing retail and customer preferences, such as “brick-and-mortar stores,” “garment,” or “assess the material.” This would add flexibility and precision while preserving the clear, natural style already present.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

Your grammar is a clear strength: the majority of sentences are error-free, and you use a range of structures accurately. For example, the relative clause in “where people value in-person shopping” and the conditional construction “someone shopping for a wedding saree or a formal suit will usually go to a shop” are well controlled. You also use cause-and-effect structures effectively, as in “As a result” and “because a wrong colour or poor fabric would be costly.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are handled well. To demonstrate even greater flexibility, vary the sentence openings and include a wider range of complex structures as you expand the essay. There are no recurring grammatical problems that interfere with understanding.

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