Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-29

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In a number of countries, some people think it is necessary to spend large sums of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. Others believe the money should be spent on improving existing public transport.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

 

Student answer (Band 7.0)

In recent times, it has been seen that a large number of individuals go to famous travel attractions just to capture their pictures and ignore to pay attention to the surroundings. The driving factors are the impact of social media and changing attitudes of the demographics. In my opinion, this trend is not constructive as it deprives one of deeply engaging with the place.

To commence with, one of the underpinnings behind this phenomenon is a significant impact of social media platforms on people’s lives. To expound, since individuals get influenced by seeing the pictures of their friends on social media, showing off by visiting the hotspots, they themselves want to imitate the same. Furthemore, travelling to exotic places has become a symbol of social status. This means that visitors consider it as an opportunity to demonstrate their wealth rather than considering it as an opportunity to get a riveting experience. For instance, many people visiting Canada are adamant to get a picture taken with Niagara Falls in the background as proof of their visit rather than actually absorbing the feel of the environment around the Falls.

In my opinion, it is not a desirable development because it takes a traveller away from enjoying the true experience of visiting well-known places. To elaborate, the real purpose of travelling should be to gain in depth knowledge of the culture rather than merely taking pictures for social recognition. In addition, focusing on taking selfies or making reels just to post it on social media is a waste of golden opportunity to create beautiful unforgettable memories related to the travel destination.

In conclusion, the negative effect of social media on our lives and the drastic change in people’s thinking are the plausible reasons for this trend. Although it is vital to take some pictures as a memory which can be relived later, the practice of getting lost just to take photographs to be used as markers of social status is not fruitful.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for a discussion on the construction of high-speed railway lines versus improving existing public transport. Instead, the essay discusses the trend of tourists taking photos at travel attractions and the influence of social media. Because the student failed to address the task prompt entirely, the score for Task Achievement is severely impacted. While the ideas are developed within the context of the topic the student chose, they do not relate to the actual exam question provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is well-structured with clear paragraphing and logical progression. The student uses cohesive devices effectively, such as 'To commence with', 'To expound', and 'In conclusion', which helps the flow of the argument. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, and the ideas are linked logically. Despite the content being irrelevant to the prompt, the internal coherence of the writing is strong and demonstrates an ability to organize an essay effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a good range of vocabulary, using phrases like 'underpinnings', 'riveting experience', 'adamant', and 'plausible reasons'. The word choice is generally precise and appropriate for an academic context. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is varied enough to convey complex ideas clearly. The lexical range is sufficient to allow for flexibility and precision in the arguments presented.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures with a high degree of accuracy. There are very few grammatical errors, and the punctuation is generally correct. Examples of complex structures include 'Since individuals get influenced by seeing the pictures of their friends... they themselves want to imitate the same.' The control over grammar is strong, and the errors that do exist are minor and do not impede communication at all.

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