Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-20
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)
Some people believe that old buildings such as town halls and art galleries should be restored because it is the symbol of craftsmanship and help people to understand their history. Whereas, others argue that replacing old art galleries with new buildings is a better idea because it may help improving employment rates. I personally believe that restoring old buildings is a better idea.
One of the main reasons why old buildings should be restored is that it shows the beauty of craftsmanship. This is because, old monument were made when no such advanced techniques and machineries were present. However, it was made with pure form of skill. Additionally, old museums also let youngsters understand their history. For example, visiting old museums may help people to look at the old pictures and learn their history. As a result, it may improve historical knowledge of the student, which can help them score well in the academics.
On the other hand, others argue that old buildings should be replaced with new buildings such as shopping malls and workplaces. This is because, by doing so more jobs will be offered to the public and it may improve employment rates. For instance, a mall needs multiple employees such as staff, security and technicians. Hence, more job opportunities will be launched. As a result, more people may get employed and contribute to the overall growth of the region.
To conclude, although new buildings may offer more job opportunities to the people, I believe old buildings should be restored to save history. Furthermore, it provides motivation to the people who want to learn history and ancient culture.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the focus on craftsmanship and historical education for the first view, and economic growth for the second. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'employment rates' is a bit simplistic, and the link between visiting museums and 'scoring well in academics' is a tenuous connection. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand your arguments with more nuanced reasoning or more sophisticated examples that demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic beyond surface-level observations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Additionally', 'On the other hand', and 'For instance', which help guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the relationship between ideas is more tightly integrated rather than just listed.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'craftsmanship', 'employment rates', and 'ancient culture'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural word choices, such as 'launched' in the context of job opportunities, which is not the most precise collocation. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and idiomatic expressions. For example, instead of repeating 'old buildings', you could use terms like 'historical landmarks', 'architectural heritage', or 'period structures' to demonstrate a more flexible and precise command of the language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'it is the symbol' should be 'they are symbols' (plural agreement), 'old monument were' should be 'old monuments were', and 'help improving' should be 'help to improve' or 'help improve'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb forms will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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