Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-17

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 6.5)

In today's evolving world developing world, many old buildings, such as town hall and art galleries, are facing the possibility of being replaced by modern structures. While some people believe that these historic buildings should be preserved despite the high cost, others argue that constructing new buildings is a more practical solution. Although, both side have their own advantages and disadvantages. In this essay, I shall discuss both the perspectives before giving my opinion.

Out of the all arguments, there are several reasons why governments may prefer to replace old buildings with moderns ones. Firstly, because newly constructed buildings can be designed with latest safety regulations, they are often more safer and more suitable for public use than older structures. As a consequence, it has less chance of any accident or harmful for people, which is more in case of old buildings. In addition, modern buildings can build with latest technology, energy-efficient systems and powerful structure. For example, a newly built town hall could provide better heating, ventilation and accessibility facilities. Furthermore, older building often requires extensive repair and maintances,, which requires more money to repairing.

On the other hand, some individuals argue that preserving old buildings are necessary for culture and heritage. Although, restoring a historic building can be extremely costly, it allows future generations to appreciate the architectural styles and traditions of the past. Moreover, old buildings can attract several visitors because of history and famous landmark. For instance, some people all around the world like to visit a famous art museums and historical places, not only for fun and travelling but they also want to know about past, people's lives and traditions.

In conclusion, although modern buildings provide greater safety, efficiency and technological advantages, old buildings preserve a city's identity and attract tourists. Therefore, I strongly believe that historical buildings and town halls should be restored because of important of culture and traditions.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The position is consistent throughout the response. Ideas are relevant, such as safety and efficiency for modern buildings versus cultural heritage for old ones. However, some arguments are slightly under-developed; for instance, the point about safety could be supported with a more specific example beyond just 'heating and ventilation'. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points and reinforces the writer's stance. To reach a higher band, the student should aim to provide more nuanced examples and ensure that the reasoning for the personal opinion is more deeply explored.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are some minor issues with the flow; for example, the sentence 'Although, both side have their own advantages and disadvantages' is a fragment and disrupts the transition. Additionally, some referencing is slightly repetitive. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task, meeting the requirements for a band 6.5 or 7.0 level of organization.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'architectural styles', 'energy-efficient', and 'heritage'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'moderns ones', 'maintances', and 'important of culture'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of the writing. To improve, the student should focus on correct word forms and collocations, ensuring that vocabulary is used accurately in context rather than just attempting to use complex words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'older building often requires', 'preserving old buildings are') and pluralization (e.g., 'town hall and art galleries'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary commas appearing in several places. Despite these errors, the meaning is generally clear, and the errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the argument. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences and refining punctuation would significantly improve the score in this criterion.

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

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