Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-22

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)

It is often argued that old building, such as town halls and art galleries, should be restored, even though it can be costly or should be replaced with new, modern buildings. This essay will discuss both views before presenting my opinion.

On the one hand, restoration can be expensive, but many people are emotionally attached with old buildings, since it presents history of the place. Many people, especially elders may believe that if these buildings completely demolished, it may take away their memories that they made during their childhood. Humans generally prefer to keep the things same as it was during their childhood, because it gives them a sense than their childhood is still alive. Moreover, these places have historical values which can attracts tourism. So, it can generate revenue for the government in long term if they invest in restoration.

On the other hand, replacing these buildings can be beneficials for the society. As these buildings are getting old, it is more likely that they may collapsed on their own, because most of them are already passed their set ages. So, it can be important to construct new one for the safety reasons. Additionally, many old buildings was constructed by the old architectures who used the materials in buildings such as unique marbles and bricks which are no longer available. Therefore, many today's architecture find it difficult to use new materials which may not suit with old designs.

In my opinion, a balance approached should be used. The government should renovate only those buildings that can be restored without any hazards, even though this can be costly, as it contains historical values. However, those buildings that can collapse any time should be replaced with new one because it may be risky for the neighborhood.

In conclusion, although old buildings can be important for many people as they are emotionally attached, and these buildings can generate revenue to the government from tourism, only those building should be replaced which can be hazards for the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the emotional value of history versus the safety concerns of aging infrastructure. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'unique marbles and bricks' is a good point but is not fully explained in terms of why this makes restoration difficult or why modern alternatives are inferior. The position is consistent throughout the essay, though the conclusion could have been more robust in summarizing the main arguments rather than just repeating the final stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. For example, the use of 'So' to start sentences is a bit informal and frequent. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'it gives them a sense than their childhood is still alive,' where the connection between the building and the feeling could be more smoothly articulated.

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 less common vocabulary, such as 'renovate,' 'hazards,' and 'revenue.' However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'attached with' (should be 'attached to'), 'beneficials' (should be 'beneficial'), and 'balance approached' (should be 'balanced approach'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of the writing. Expanding the range of academic collocations would help improve the score in this criterion.

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 ('many old buildings was constructed,' 'these places... can attracts') and pluralization ('old building,' 'new one'). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely prevent the reader from understanding the intended meaning. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate more consistent control over basic grammatical rules and reduce the frequency of these slips.

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

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