Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-17

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 6.0)

Opinions are divided on whether the government should spend money on the restoration of town halls and art galleries, or whether they should be replaced with modern buildings. While both views have valid arguments, I largely agree with the former view. To begin with, by spending funds on the restoration of art galleries, the government can preserve historical paintings. This will provide people with knowledge of the past. Indeed, the restoration process can be expensive, but officials can generate revenue later by charging visiting money from visitors. Many people prefer countries that have old buildings and town halls. If governments start restoring old architecture, it would attract tourists and generate income. Turkey is visited by millions of tourists every year because of its ancient town halls and art galleries. On the other hand, if the authorities replace old structures with modern buildings, it might provide a more safer space and can be used for offices and hospitals. As the population is increasing, replacing old town halls with new buildings can generate more space for them. Rather than preserving town halls, construction of modern-style apartments is more beneficial. Last year, Japan replaced its art galleries with new-style townhouses to provide more residential space for its citizens. In conclusion, although restoration of old buildings is expensive, I strongly believe that the more we preserve these historical buildings, the more we can preserve our history and generate revenue. Modern buildings can resolve many issues like shortage of hospitals and residential places, but they can be constructed on others areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—preserving old buildings versus replacing them with modern ones—and provides a clear personal opinion in favour of restoration. Ideas are extended with reasons and examples, such as mentioning Turkey and Japan. However, some arguments lack complete depth, for instance, the claim that art galleries preserve historical paintings is slightly confused in context with town halls, and the example regarding Japan replacing art galleries with townhouses seems counterintuitive to the prompt's theme. Despite these minor lapses in development and factual coherence, the task is adequately fulfilled, warranting a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is generally coherent with a clear overall progression. The writer uses basic cohesive devices appropriately, such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or slightly abrupt, and referencing can be repetitive or ambiguous, such as using 'them' without a completely clear antecedent in some sentences. Despite these minor flaws, the logical flow is easy to follow throughout, earning a secure Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'restoration', 'preserve', 'revenue', and 'authorities'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is occasionally marred by collocation and word choice errors, such as 'charging visiting money' instead of 'charging admission fees' or 'more safer' which is grammatically incorrect. Spelling and word choice errors are present ('others areas' instead of 'other areas'), but they do not impede communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures ('If governments start restoring...') and concessive clauses ('While both views have valid arguments...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text. For instance, the comparative form 'more safer' is a double comparative error, and articles are sometimes missed or misused. While these errors occur regularly, they rarely impede overall communication, allowing the essay to achieve a Band 6.0.

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