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)

The growing trend of capturing photographs instead of living the experiences has become a matter of considerable debate in recent years. It is widely believed that this trend will continue in the future. This essay will outline the reasons behind this change and discuss its negative consequences.

With regard to the first question, the main reason individuals are more focused on taking photographs of themselves rather than appreciating the beauty of the place is increased popularity of social media. In this digital era, people are preoccupied to capture the perfect picture and post on social media platforms. This behaviour is driven by the desire to gain more engagement, such as likes or comments online, and showcase their experiences to their friends. Consequently, people fail to appreciate the unique moments and experiences that a place has to offer. For instance, this can be seen in iconic tourist destinations such as Eiffel Tower in Paris, where visitors spend a considerable amount of time taking selfies and filming content for social media. As a result, they fail to admire the historical and architectural significance of the place.

Regarding the second question, I believe that this is a negative development. This is because it undermines the essence of traveling. Instead of it being an educational and enriching experience, traveling has become more superficial, focusing solely on creating attractive images. As a result, visitors lack awareness, respect, and knowledge about the cultural, historical, and natural significance of these famous locations. A clear illustration of this can be seen in recent studies on tourist behaviour, which suggest that nearly 64% of travellers view photography as an essential part of their holiday experience, often outweighing the importance of exploring the destination itself.

In conclusion, social media is the leading factor that drives this change in modern tourism. Individuals should recognize that prioritizing creating visual content than gaining meaningful educational experience can diminish the true value of traveling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly identify social media as the primary driver for this behavior and provide a well-reasoned argument for why it is a negative trend, focusing on the loss of cultural and historical appreciation. The ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of the Eiffel Tower and the inclusion of a specific statistic regarding traveler behavior. Your position is clear from the introduction and is maintained consistently throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, you could further explore the psychological aspect of 'fear of missing out' or the long-term impact on heritage site management.

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 evaluation of its impact is smooth. You use a range of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Consequently,' 'For instance,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the response. The structure is coherent, and the relationship between sentences is generally well-managed, making the text easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'undermines the essence of traveling,' 'superficial,' and 'architectural significance' show a good command of language. There are occasional minor issues with collocation, such as 'preoccupied to capture' (should be 'preoccupied with capturing'). However, these errors do not impede communication. You successfully incorporate topic-specific vocabulary related to tourism and social media, which enhances the quality of your writing. To improve, focus on using more varied synonyms for 'people' and 'places' to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show control over grammar, with many error-free sentences. There are a few minor slips, such as 'prioritizing creating visual content than gaining' (should be 'prioritizing... over gaining') and 'Eiffel Tower' (needs the article 'the'). These are occasional errors and do not affect the clarity of your message. Your use of punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence variety helps maintain the reader's interest. Continued practice with complex prepositional phrases and comparative structures will help you achieve a higher level of accuracy.

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