Fashion trends are difficult to follow these days and it’s widely believed that they primarily exist just to sell clothes. Some people believe that we shouldn’t follow them and that we should dress in what we like and feel comfortable in. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Same question Compare 2 different answersSample Response
I do not agree with the opinion that we should completely avoid the fashion trend but I do agree with it up to a certain extent. Fashion trend in our clothes has reached a level of craziness now. I find it bizarre to follow the latest fashion trends these days from a normal man's perspective.
It's gone a level out of hand, according to me. You simply can't dress up to the trends in the fashion world these days and expect to lead a normal life. For me, fashion is about being you and giving a picture of yourself or I say portraying yourself to the world. It's not about following someone or what people do. It's more of your own personal thing rather than adapting someone's style completely, as the fashion trend right now is that. For me being yourself and dressing up what you think suits you the best and being comfortable physically and mentally but at the same time looking good and presentable to the outside world. It's a hard task getting all the combinations right. Maybe I'm a fashionable person, as I get appreciated most times which made me feel that fashion is just about being yourself and not always about following the existing trend. Some might disagree. I say set your own trends.
I completely disagree that it's widely believed that fashion trends exist just to sell off clothes. Fashion trends are like innovation and ideas. They keep changing and they keep moving ahead, a step ahead than most of us in my opinion. If the world was following the same trend then boredom would have set in. Fashion trends give you new ideas and innovations in the world of fashion but it’s just up to you to decide whether you have to try it or ignore it. It's not about following it but picking the right ones from various combinations of right and wrongs.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use the general plural Original: avoid the fashion trend Suggested revision: avoid fashion trends Why it matters: The argument concerns fashion trends generally, so the plural noun needs no article.
- 2. Remove redundant wording Original: up to a certain extent Suggested revision: to a certain extent Why it matters: The fixed expression is “to a certain extent”; “up to” is redundant here.
- 3. Use a natural plural Original: Fashion trend in our clothes Suggested revision: Fashion trends in clothing Why it matters: The general concept requires plural “trends,” while “clothing” is the natural collective noun.
- 4. Use formal wording Original: a level of craziness Suggested revision: an unreasonable level Why it matters: “Unreasonable” conveys the criticism in a more precise academic register.
- 5. Use an inclusive reference Original: a normal man's perspective Suggested revision: an ordinary person's perspective Why it matters: “Ordinary person” is more inclusive and natural than “normal man.”
- 6. Fix the idiom Original: gone a level out of hand Suggested revision: become somewhat out of hand Why it matters: The natural expression is “become out of hand”; “gone a level” is not idiomatic.
- 7. Use a natural opinion phrase Original: according to me Suggested revision: in my view Why it matters: “In my view” is the standard phrase for introducing a personal opinion.
- 8. Fix the trend collocation Original: up Suggested revision: according Why it matters: People dress “according to” trends, not “up to” them.
- 9. Clarify imitation Original: following someone or what people do Suggested revision: imitating others or copying what they do Why it matters: The revision states clearly that the objection concerns copying other people's behaviour.
- 10. Complete the infinitive pattern Original: a hard task getting Suggested revision: hard to get Why it matters: The adjective “hard” naturally takes an infinitive to describe the difficulty.
- 11. Use an active clause Original: I get appreciated most times Suggested revision: people often appreciate my style Why it matters: The active clause clearly identifies what others appreciate and uses a natural frequency adverb.
- 12. Use present tense Original: made Suggested revision: makes Why it matters: The surrounding statement describes a current repeated experience, so the present tense is required.
Suggested Rewrites
- avoid the fashion trend avoid fashion trends
- up to a certain extent to a certain extent
- Fashion trend in our clothes Fashion trends in clothing
- a level of craziness an unreasonable level
- a normal man's perspective an ordinary person's perspective
- gone a level out of hand become somewhat out of hand
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response communicates a nuanced view that people can take inspiration from fashion while choosing clothes that suit them, and its personal voice makes the position easy to follow. The main limitation is that the supporting ideas are repetitive and largely asserted rather than explained with specific evidence. The highest-priority improvement is to build two distinct reasons, each supported by a concrete example, while stating the degree of agreement more consistently.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses the opinion and presents a relevant qualified position, but its main ideas are repetitive and only partly developed.
State the exact degree of agreement once, then support each main reason with a specific explanation or example.
Coherence and Cohesion
The three-paragraph structure provides overall progression, although repetition and some abrupt or incomplete sentences weaken cohesion within paragraphs.
Give each body paragraph one controlling idea and remove repeated claims about being yourself or choosing selectively.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is sufficient and includes some effective less common items, but repetition and several awkward collocations limit precision.
Replace recurring uses of fashion and trends with precise references, and correct unnatural phrases about following, adopting, and selling clothes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses both simple and complex forms, but sentence fragments and recurring errors with articles, prepositions, and comparisons reduce control.
Check that every sentence has a finite main verb and revise comparative and prepositional patterns in longer structures.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Fashion trends are difficult to follow these days and it’s widely believed that they primarily exist just to sell clothes. Some people believe that we shouldn’t follow them and that we should dress in what we like and feel comfortable in. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.