Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

More and more people nowadays visit well-known places to take photographs of themselves, without looking at the place.

Why do you think this is happening?

Is it a positive or a negative trend?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Nowadays, many tourists visit famous landmarks only to take selfies instead of enjoying the place itself. This trend is mainly caused by social media and the easy availability of smartphones, and in my opinion, it is a negative development.

To begin with, there are two main reasons why this is happening. Firstly, social media has made people want attention. Many people share their photos on Instagram and Snapchat to get likes and comments, so they take selfies at famous places to look interesting and successful. Secondly, almost everyone now has a smartphone with a good camera. In the past, people needs a professional photographer or an expensive camera, but today taking a selfie is quick, free and easy. For example, at the Eiffel Tower, thousands of tourists stand in long queues just to take the same photo.

Moreover, this trend is negative for two reasons. Firstly, people miss the real experience of the place. When tourists only focus on their phones, they do not learn about the history or culture of the place, and they do not enjoy the moment. Secondly, it can be dangerous and disrespectful. Some people stand in unsafe places or block other visitors just to get a perfect picture. For instance, every year, some tourists are injured while taking selfies near cliffs or rivers.

In conclusion, its a positive trend in a word that people are adapting latest technology in their daily life. But people become addicted to take photograp at any time at any place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions: social media and smartphone cameras are given as causes, and you state that the trend is negative. The examples of queues at the Eiffel Tower and unsafe selfie-taking help make the points relevant. However, the conclusion contradicts the position developed in the essay: it calls the trend “a positive trend” before describing addiction, so your overall view is not fully consistent. Some ideas also need fuller explanation. For example, you say people miss the experience and do not learn about a place, but you could explain more clearly why this matters or illustrate it with a specific example. Keep your position consistent and develop each main reason with a clearer explanation or supporting detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for causes and effects, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “Firstly,” and “Secondly” make the main points easy to follow, and the examples are placed alongside the ideas they support. However, the repeated use of “Firstly” and “Secondly” makes the linking somewhat mechanical. More importantly, the conclusion’s claim that this is “a positive trend” conflicts with the negative position in the introduction and body, disrupting the progression of the argument. The final paragraph also introduces the idea of addiction without connecting it clearly to the earlier discussion. Use a wider range of transitions and make the conclusion summarise the same position and reasons established in the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “famous landmarks,” “professional photographer,” “history or culture,” and “unsafe places.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and terms such as “likes and comments” make the social-media explanation concrete. There are, however, some imprecise or unnatural expressions, particularly in the conclusion: “a positive trend in a word” and “adapting latest technology” do not express your intended meaning naturally. “Photograp” is also misspelled, and “addicted to take photograp” shows difficulty with word form and collocation. Aim for more precise phrases such as “a positive development overall” or “becoming overly reliant on taking photographs,” and check spelling and natural word combinations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and most of the argument remains easy to understand. For example, the sentence beginning “When tourists only focus on their phones” uses a subordinate clause effectively, while “Some people stand in unsafe places or block other visitors” is a clear compound structure. Some grammatical errors remain. In “people needs a professional photographer,” the plural subject requires “need”; “its a positive trend” needs the contraction “it’s”; and “people become addicted to take” requires a different grammatical pattern, such as “people become addicted to taking.” The conclusion also shifts awkwardly between ideas. Review subject–verb agreement, verb patterns after adjectives, and apostrophes, then proofread the final paragraph especially carefully.

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