Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-07-25

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that old buildings, such as town halls and art galleries, should be restored, even though this can be costly. Others argue that governments should replace them with new, modern buildings.

Discuss both 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)

There is an ongoing debate whether the historical buildings should be renovated or these are better demolished and modern builidings and infrastructure should take the place of it since it is highly expensive to repair old buildings. In my opinion, buildings which are more likely to fell down or demand high costs to repair should knocked down but others that require little effort to restore and are of highly valued should be reserved.

On the one hand, supporters of the former view claim that restoring old building means preserving history. In other words, traditional structures are great symbols of our past and ancestors as they reflect how much tough and struggled life was in the old days. These buildings represent our culture and values because there are various ancient and values things present which can make youngsters aware about the ancient lifestyle like how simple and satisfactory it was, without the presence of modern technology. Therefore, modern generation can get acquainted with the past and they can acquire traditional values, knowledge and morals which are must to lead a life without materialistic possessions.

On the other hand, opponents argue that restoring old buildings would cost us dearly rather they should be knocked down. Demolishing historic structures would pave the way for contemporary buildings which are need of the hour. To explain, burgeoning population and ever increasing demand for infrastructure require authorities to take steps in this regard because the so called traditional structures acquiring significant portions of land which were built thousands of years ago serve no special purpose instead they can be transformed to modern high rise buildings which are suitable for catering contemporary needs. Also, one day these old buildings may fell down because thses cannot withsand earthquakes and other natural calamities since they are not better equipped; thereby, they should better be put down.

In conclusion, even though old buildings are a key element of traditional values and history, I do believe that restoring such conventional structures requires no fundamental purpose and it should not come at the cost of modern lifestyle; which makes me reiterate that putting them down in order to solve modern issues is the best thing governments can do.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The position is consistent throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the second body paragraph where the argument for demolition is restated several times. While the ideas are relevant, they could be more deeply explored with more specific examples rather than general statements about 'modern needs' or 'earthquakes'. The conclusion effectively summarizes the stance, though it slightly contradicts the nuance provided in the introduction regarding the preservation of some buildings.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical, and some transitions between sentences feel abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, though some pronoun usage is slightly ambiguous. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated language like 'burgeoning population' and 'contemporary needs'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'fell down' instead of 'collapse', 'values things' instead of 'valuable items', and 'put down' instead of 'demolished'. While these errors do not impede communication, they demonstrate a lack of precision that prevents a higher score. Spelling is mostly accurate, but the range of vocabulary remains somewhat limited to common expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('buildings... should knocked down', 'these cannot withsand') and article usage. Some sentences are overly long and slightly convoluted, which affects clarity. While the writer attempts complex structures, the control over them is inconsistent, leading to errors in tense and word form. Despite these issues, the meaning remains clear throughout, and the errors do not significantly hinder the reader's understanding of the arguments presented.

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