Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-11

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In the future, more people will choose to go on holiday in their own country and not travel abroad on holiday. Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.5)

In the future, more persons will opt for local holidays than international holidays. I agree with this. Local holidays are more affordable and convenient.

Most persons opt for holidays in their own country due to the cost. International holidays require more expensive flight tickets, visas, expensive hotels and overpriced meals. During a local holiday, the prices of flights and hotels is greatly reduced. This allows most persons to save cost and budget for other important aspects of their lives. For example, a local trip to Obudu cattle ranch in Nigeria, will be more affordable than an international trip to Niagara Falls in Canada. The expenses can come from the exchange rate, the visa application process and the flights tickets.

Furthermore, Local trips are also convenient. Individuals opting for holidays within their own country, do not have to worry about visa approval and long travel durations. They also do not have to worry about getting a tour guide since most areas are already familiar. There is also less struggling about finding good meals. Most meals within the country are familiar to virtually all the citizens. Local trips are also convenient for individuals who are afraid of travelling by air. These individuals can opt for other means of transportation like land or water. For instance, travelling for local holidays within Nigeria can be done by a bus or train, On the other hand, international holidays to Canada requires transportation by air. This is due to the long travel time.

In conclusion, international holidays may be fun but it is not as affordable or convenient as local holidays.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The arguments regarding cost and convenience are relevant and supported by specific examples, such as the comparison between Obudu cattle ranch and Niagara Falls. However, the development is somewhat repetitive, and the ideas could be extended further to reach a higher band. For instance, the discussion on 'convenience' focuses heavily on travel logistics but could have explored cultural or psychological benefits of local tourism to provide a more comprehensive analysis. Overall, the task is addressed well, but the depth of argumentation remains at a standard level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'On the other hand', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive (e.g., the frequent use of 'Most persons' and 'Local trips'). The progression of ideas is generally smooth, but the concluding paragraph is quite brief and does not fully synthesize the points made in the body paragraphs, which limits the overall flow and impact of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'expensive', 'good', and 'fun'. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'visa application process' and 'exchange rate', the repetition of phrases like 'most persons' and 'local holidays' suggests a limited lexical repertoire. To improve, the student should incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations to express ideas with greater nuance and variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'the prices of flights and hotels is greatly reduced' should be 'are') and punctuation errors (e.g., the comma splice in '...by a bus or train, On the other hand...'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. A greater variety of complex structures, used with more consistent accuracy, would be necessary to reach the Band 7 level.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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