Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-28
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 8.0)
Nowadays, many individuals are traveling to famous tourist places mainly to take photographs of themselves instead of enjoying the beauty of those places. I believe this is happening because of social media and the desire to share travel experiences online. In my opinion, this is a negative trend because people often miss the real value of that place.
Certainly, there are a plethora of reasons for this trend. The predominant one among them is the popularity of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. To be more precise, people like to upload attractive pictures on these platforms to receive likes, comments, and appreciation from others. As a result, they focus more on taking perfect photos than learning about the culture, history, or natural beauty of the place. For example, people only visit the famous temple, Kedarnath, to take photographs because of the excellent view of the mountains.
I believe this is a negative development for several reasons. Firstly, visitors may not truly experience the place they visited. In other words, they often spend most of their time finding good spots to take photographs instead of exploring the beauty and history. Secondly, this trend can create overcrowding in popular places, making it very difficult for others to enjoy the attraction peacefully. People can also break safety rules to take selfies, and this can be very dangerous. For instance, I have seen many tourists visit famous landmarks and spend only a few minutes there after taking several photos. Instead of understanding the importance of the place, they leave immediately to visit another location for more pictures.
In conclusion, the trend of visiting famous places mainly for photos is largely caused by social media and the desire for online recognition. In my opinion, this is a negative trend because it reduces the quality of travel experiences and often creates problems for both visitors and tourist attractions.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.0 |
| Overall | 8.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5
The response fully addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend (social media, online validation) and the evaluation of the trend (negative). The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the discussion on the loss of authentic experience and the impact of overcrowding. The example of the Kedarnath temple provides a relevant, specific illustration of the point. The response is balanced and logically structured, meeting all requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the reasons for the trend and the negative consequences is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'The predominant one among them', 'To be more precise', and 'In other words' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The flow of information is natural and easy to follow throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses a range of topic-specific terms such as 'online recognition', 'tourist attractions', and 'travel experiences'. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and natural, there is room for more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions to reach the highest band. For instance, instead of 'good spots', more precise collocations could be used. However, the current range is flexible enough to convey complex ideas clearly without any noticeable errors in word choice or collocation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0
The essay demonstrates a good command of grammatical structures. There is a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'Instead of understanding the importance of the place, they leave immediately to visit another location for more pictures.' Punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence structures are varied. Errors are rare and non-systematic, such as minor phrasing choices, but these do not impede communication at all. The control over complex sentence forms is consistent, supporting the overall clarity of the argument.
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