Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-05

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 people visit famous tourist attractions mainly to take photographs of themselves instead of appreciating the beauty or history of these places. I believe this trend is largely caused by the growing influence of social media, and overall, it is a negative development.

One of the main reasons for this trend is the popularity of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. People often want to share attractive photos to gain likes, comments, and followers. As a result, many tourists spend more time taking selfies than exploring the place itself. In addition, smartphones with high-quality cameras have made photography easier than ever, encouraging people to capture every moment rather than enjoy it.

Although taking photographs helps preserve memories and allows people to share their travel experiences with friends and family, I believe the negative effects outweigh the benefits. Firstly, many people fail to learn about the culture, history, or natural beauty of the places they visit because they are focused on getting the perfect picture. Secondly, this behavior can disturb other visitors and sometimes even damage historical sites when tourists ignore the rules just to take unique photographs.

In conclusion, the increasing habit of visiting famous places mainly for selfies is driven by social media and modern technology. While taking photographs has some advantages, I believe this trend is mostly negative because it reduces the true purpose of travelling and may have harmful effects on tourist destinations.

Word count: 233

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend and the evaluation of whether it is positive or negative. However, the essay falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the ideas are relevant and the position is clear throughout, the development is somewhat concise. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples—for instance, by describing a specific scenario where tourist behavior impacts a site—to ensure a more thorough exploration of the topic and to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Ideas are logically sequenced, and the progression of the argument is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition,' 'Although,' and 'Firstly' effectively to link your points. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the reasons from the evaluation. The flow is natural, and the structure supports the overall argument well, demonstrating a good level of coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas with precision. Phrases like 'growing influence,' 'preserve memories,' and 'true purpose of travelling' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is appropriate and clear, it is generally standard. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated or less common lexical items, such as 'superficiality,' 'curated,' or 'detrimental,' to show a greater degree of flexibility and stylistic awareness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The grammar is generally accurate, and you demonstrate a good control of sentence structures. You successfully use a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'Although taking photographs helps preserve memories... I believe the negative effects outweigh the benefits.' There are very few errors, and those that exist do not impede communication. To improve further, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as inversion or more advanced conditional forms, to showcase greater range.

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

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