Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-30

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)

Nowadays, online shopping has become a trend among the public. Proponents believe that since purchasing goods online is thriving, it will close offline shops. Critics contend that this is never going to happen. I concur with the critics. Although website purchasing is popular, it will never completely take over offline shop buying because it provides satisfaction before payment, and it is convenient.

The key reason to choose shopping from local shops is a thorough check of the product to ensure satisfaction. While you go into a shop to look for a product, you can check it by touching it. You can inspect the items before proceeding with payment. For instance, if a person wants to buy furniture such as a dining table, he can check the material used to make the item by touching it, and also investigate for any damage. Hence, individuals can be satisfied with the goods before paying money.

Additionally, it is way more comfortable than online shopping. It is effortless to go directly to the place, see the product, and pay for it rather than waiting for the product to reach home. For example, if a person wants to buy a dress, then he can try it on in the shop and then buy it. He does not have to wait for its arrival. Therefore, people prefer to go to the shop in person.

In a nutshell, since buying goods from shops satisfies consumers by allowing inspection of the items and making it comfortable to try the product in person, I reckon that the shops in cities and towns will never close even after the growth of purchases from online platforms.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction—“I concur with the critics”—and remains consistent in the conclusion. You address the question directly and support your disagreement with two relevant reasons: customers can inspect goods before paying, and they can try items such as clothing immediately. The dining-table and dress examples make these points concrete. This is a well-supported response, though some claims are broad: for example, saying in-person shopping is “way more comfortable” is not fully explained, and the essay focuses on inspection and convenience without considering other reasons physical shops may continue to exist. To develop the argument further, explain who benefits from these advantages and acknowledge that online shopping may still replace some types of shops, even if not all of them close.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear, effective structure: an introduction states your view, each body paragraph develops one reason, and the conclusion restates your position. The progression from product inspection to convenience is easy to follow, and examples are placed where they support the relevant point. Linking expressions such as “Additionally,” “For instance,” and “Therefore” help guide the reader. Some connections are a little formulaic, however, and repeated references to “the product” and “the shop” make parts of the response less fluid. The opening contrast between proponents and critics is also not developed later. For stronger cohesion, use more varied referencing and make the relationship between each example and the broader claim explicit, rather than relying mainly on standard transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss shopping and consumer choices, including “inspect,” “proceeding with payment,” and “thriving.” These choices communicate your ideas clearly, and the examples are easy to understand. However, some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “website purchasing,” “offline shop buying,” and “it is way more comfortable.” “Investigate for any damage” is also an awkward collocation in this context. Repetition of “product,” “shop,” and “buy” limits flexibility, while “satisfies consumers” is used broadly where a more precise description would help. Aim to learn natural collocations for retail and consumer behaviour, and choose formal alternatives to conversational wording. This would make your vocabulary more precise and stylistically consistent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You demonstrate a useful range of sentence forms, including complex clauses with “Although,” “While,” and “since,” as well as conditional examples such as “if a person wants to buy a dress.” Many sentences are accurate and easy to follow, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. A few grammatical choices remain awkward. In “While you go into a shop,” the present simple is less suitable for describing a general situation than “When you go into a shop.” The phrase “investigate for any damage” also has an unsuitable preposition within its grammatical pattern; use “check for damage.” In addition, the shift from general consumers to “he” in the examples is inconsistent. Continue varying sentence structures while checking tense, preposition patterns, and consistent pronoun reference.

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