Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-23

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 this contemporary world, the county's art and history plays an important role in building the great human being. many individuals suggest that old town halls and museums ought to be refurbished without considering cost, while others opine that authorities should replace old building with modern landmarks. As per my viewpoint, government should restore old buildings to keep authenticity and history. This essay will discuss both perspective in details.

First of all, constructing new buildings can provide significant practical advantages. Modern buildings can be designed based on current needs of citizens and usually incorporate advance technology, energy efficiency and accessibility. For instance, newly build town hall could include advance communication systems, wheel-chair accessible facilities and energy saving equipment that may be difficult or expensive to install in old structures. In addition, maintaining aging building requires continuous investment, whereas replacing it may provide a more economical long term solution.

On the other hand, old buildings often maintain the old cultural and historical values. They can represent an important periods of the city' development and provide sense of identity for city dwellers. Historical places can also attract tourists, generating income for local businesses.

For example, many European city's preserve countries old town halls and museums because visitors are interested not only in their collections but also in the architecture and history of the old building. Hence, restoration of the aging landmarks may preserve culture heritage and generate income for local entrepreneurs.

In conclusion, although replacing old building with modern structures provide advanced technological amenities and accessibilities, I believe that restoration of old places would help to preserve country's historical values and increase income source for local businesses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting both views and a clear personal position. The ideas are relevant, such as the practical benefits of modern buildings versus the cultural value of historical ones. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the argument regarding 'modern landmarks' could be more deeply explored with specific examples beyond general technological features. The position is consistent throughout, but the conclusion could be more nuanced to reflect the complexity of the debate. Overall, the response meets the requirements for a Band 6.5, as it addresses the prompt effectively but lacks the depth of analysis required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all,' 'In addition,' and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the use of 'it' in 'replacing it may provide' where the antecedent 'aging building' is singular but the context implies a plural concept. Despite these minor flaws, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated language like 'refurbished,' 'contemporary,' and 'cultural heritage.' However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and collocation errors, such as 'building the great human being' (which is unclear) and 'income source' instead of 'source of income.' There are also minor grammatical errors in word form, such as 'countries old town halls' (should be 'country's'). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning, the lack of precision in word choice prevents a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include missing articles ('the county's art', 'replace old building'), subject-verb agreement issues ('history plays', 'building... require'), and pluralization errors ('city's development' instead of 'cities' or 'the city's'). These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on consistent article usage and pluralization, as well as refining complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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

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