Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-10

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 7.0)

There has been a rising trend to preserve the old buildings in many parts of the world. While some people believe that ancient buildings must be restored, others contend that these buildings must be replaced by modern buildings. This essay will discuss both views in detail and argue that every effort must be made to preserve old buildings, which signify the cultural heritage of a country.

Proponents of the view that governments should replace old edifices argue that their renovation would be a costly decision. It is better to spend money on building a new structure rather than investing on something already broken. Sometimes when renovation is not done properly, these old buildings collapse which can prove to be fatal for the residents. To illustrate, the building of my sister's college was almost 100 years old. One day, while she was working in the department, a brick fell down from the roof. Fortunately, there were not any injuries, and students remained safe.

Conversely, opponents argue that old buildings must be restored to preserve the cultural and national heritage, which forms the identity of a country. Moreover, these ancient buildings promote tourism, as tourists prefer to visit the historical landmarks of a country. This helps to generate tourism revenue, which contributes to strengthen the economy of a country. For instance, the government of Pakistan has spent millions of rupees on the renovation of historical buildings, such as town hall and art galleries, on Mall road in lahore. Many foreigners who visit Pakistan specially visit Mall road to experience the vibe of old Lahore. Similary the ancient colosseum in Rome has been preserved, attracting millions of tourists around the world. Such deliberate effors by the government to preserve historical sites help to increase tourism, which subsequently generates revenue for the country.

In conclusion, despite the challenges associated with restoring old buildings, they must be preserved to maintain the cultural and national identity of a country in the world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both perspectives and maintains a clear opinion: the introduction and conclusion support preserving old buildings. The case for replacement is relevant, with cost and safety explained and illustrated by the college incident. The preservation argument is extended through cultural identity and tourism, supported by examples from Lahore and Rome. This range of relevant support fits the descriptor for a response that addresses all parts and develops its ideas. To strengthen it further, explain more precisely how governments should balance preservation costs against safety—for example, by assessing buildings individually or prioritising essential repairs. The claim that tourists “prefer to visit” historical landmarks is also broad; qualifying it or linking it more directly to the examples would make the reasoning more measured.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear four-part structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. Its progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “Conversely,” “To illustrate,” and “In conclusion” help readers track the argument. The examples are generally placed beside the points they support, and the final paragraph returns to the writer’s position. This is a logical and coherent organisation. To make cohesion more flexible and less dependent on explicit transitions, connect some ideas through clearer referencing and cause-and-effect links. For instance, the tourism-revenue explanation could be integrated more smoothly with the Lahore and Rome examples, rather than repeating that preservation increases tourism and revenue. The conclusion could also briefly acknowledge the safety concern before reaffirming the position.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The response uses an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “cultural heritage,” “national identity,” “historical landmarks,” and “tourism revenue.” There are also attempts at less common or formal expressions, such as “proponents,” “edifices,” and “deliberate efforts,” showing some flexibility. However, several choices or combinations are not fully natural: “investing on something,” “contributes to strengthen,” and “experience the vibe” are less suitable in this formal essay. Spelling slips such as “Similary,” “effors,” and the lowercase “lahore” also reduce accuracy. More consistent control of collocation, register, and spelling would make the vocabulary more precise and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay includes a mix of simple and complex structures, including contrast clauses (“While some people believe…”) and a conditional sentence (“when renovation is not done properly…”). Most sentences communicate the intended meaning clearly, and the paragraphing and punctuation are generally controlled. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, particularly in prepositions and verb patterns: “investing on something” should be “investing in something,” and “contributes to strengthen” should be “contributes to strengthening” or “helps strengthen.” In “there were not any injuries,” the more natural construction is “there were no injuries.” The sentence beginning “Sometimes when renovation…” would also benefit from a comma after the introductory clause. Greater accuracy in these patterns, alongside the existing structural variety, would improve control.

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