Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-14

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)

People hold different views about restoring historical buildings whether the governments should maintain these by spending more money or these buildings should be demolished to build modern architecture. Although building modern buidlings is cost-effective, in my opinion, it is also important to save historical landmarks becuase these connect us with our roots.

On the one hand, demolishing old buildings such as town halls or art galleries can be an easy and cost-effective approach for governments because they can build more appartments and shopping complexes. In developing countries such as India, this will not only tackle problem of accommodation, but also would be an additional facility in a city or town. Which can consequently lead to the development of that area. Due to over population people may find modern building alluring and useful for staying or leisure purposes.

On the other hand, eventhough refurbishment of historical buildings can be expensive, this can help a country preserve its heritage and history. Town halls, meuseums or art galleries connect citizens with their roots and make them proud of their ancestors. Moreover, after rennovating such buildings these can be used as tourist attractions, which can cover the cost of maintence from national or international visitors. Egypt is a good example of smat efforts by the government to maintain its culture as well as boost its economy by tourism industry.

In conclusion, while in some countries constructing new buildings instead of repairing old ones can be proven benefical, the modern generation should be left with some cultural buildings to make them remember about the sacrifies of our ancestors. Despite being renovation an expensive task, money can be recovered easily with visiting charges or entry tickets.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both sides of the discussion and gives a clear opinion: modern construction may be cost-effective, but historic buildings should also be preserved. The two body paragraphs develop relevant reasons, including housing and commercial space on one side, and heritage, tourism, and potential revenue on the other. The examples of India and Egypt help make the argument concrete. The position remains consistent in the conclusion. To strengthen the response further, develop the comparison between the competing priorities more fully: for example, explain when limited urban space might justify replacement, or how governments could decide which buildings merit restoration. Some claims, such as tourism covering maintenance costs, would also benefit from more specific support rather than being presented generally.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for each view, and a conclusion that restates the writer’s position. The progression from the case for replacement to the case for restoration is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” guide the reader. Some connections are less smooth or precise. For instance, “Which can consequently lead to the development of that area” is a sentence fragment, and the link between population growth and modern buildings being “alluring” is not fully explained. The repeated use of “these” to refer to buildings can also make references less clear. More varied linking and clearer sentence-to-sentence connections would improve flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “cost-effective,” “preserve its heritage,” “tourist attractions,” and “ancestors.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the writer attempts some less common expressions. However, several spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural word choices reduce accuracy, such as “buidlings,” “meuseums,” “rennovating,” and “smat efforts.” Some collocations are also awkward: “additional facility” and “cover the cost of maintence from … visitors” do not express the intended meaning naturally. Aim to check spelling carefully and choose precise combinations, such as “provide additional facilities” and “generate revenue to cover maintenance costs.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concessive clause in “Although building modern buildings is cost-effective” and a conditional construction beginning “if …” in the discussion of tourism. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. “Which can consequently lead to the development of that area” is a fragment, while “Due to over population people may find…” needs clearer sentence structure and punctuation. In the conclusion, “Despite being renovation an expensive task” has an incorrect clause construction; “Although renovation is expensive” would be more accurate. There are also issues with articles and sentence patterns, as in “tackle problem of accommodation.” Practise complete clauses and accurate complex-sentence forms while retaining this range.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.