Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-02
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 7.0)
Nowadays, many tourists visit famous attractions mainly to take photographs of themselves rather than appreciate the sites. This essay believes that this trend is largely negative, although it has become common because of the influence of social media.
One of the major reason is the social media influence as we spend most of our time. For example, recently me and my friends decided to go to a trip to see Niagara falls after watching the reel in an Instagram. After that when she visited the place she was busy in taking the photos instead of spending the time to see the most beautiful waterfalls. This is happening because she want a social recognition by posting those photos in the social media platforms and to add few more followers .
I believe this is a negative trend because the main purpose of travelling should be to experience different cultures, learn about local history, and appreciate the natural beauty of a place. However, many tourists spend most of their time taking selfies and trying to capture the perfect photograph instead of exploring the destination. For example, some visitors at famous landmarks spend hours posing for pictures but never visit the museums, historical sites, or cultural exhibitions nearby. As a result, they return home with hundreds of photographs but very little understanding of the place they visited.
In conclusion, this behavior is mainly driven by social media and the desire for online recognition. Although photographs help preserve memories, I believe that focusing only on taking pictures has a negative impact on the overall travel experience.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend and the evaluation of whether it is positive or negative. The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout. Ideas are relevant, such as the influence of social media and the loss of cultural appreciation. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the example regarding the friend at Niagara Falls is a bit anecdotal and could be expanded with more general analysis to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'For example', 'However', and 'As a result', which help the flow of ideas. While the progression is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical. The use of referencing is mostly clear, though the shift from 'my friends' to 'she' in the second paragraph is slightly abrupt. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language like 'famous attractions', 'social recognition', and 'cultural exhibitions'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'go to a trip' (should be 'go on a trip') and 'the reel in an Instagram' (should be 'a reel on Instagram'). To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise collocations and a wider variety of sophisticated vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'One of the major reason' (should be 'reasons'), 'she want' (should be 'she wants'), and 'in the social media platforms' (should be 'on social media platforms'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The student demonstrates control over basic grammar, but more consistent accuracy in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage is needed to move into the higher bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.