Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

These days photographs are one of the best ways to create memories that will stay forever in a concrete form. People visit historic or important places but instead of being in the moment they just try to capture it through the camera lens.

In my opinion, one reason behind this trend of taking immense photos rather than enjoying the scene is the excessive use of social media. It has become a norm to post every activity on social media due to which the actual purpose of the activity is lost somewhere between getting more likes and views. Social Media has created this need for external appreciation due to which people feel more accomplished if the praise comes from external sources rather than acknowleding their work or experiences themselves.

This trend has both positive and negative sides to it. While on the posiitve side,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, reaching only 143 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you introduce the topic and provide a reason for the trend (social media influence), the essay stops abruptly mid-sentence when beginning to discuss the positive and negative aspects. Because the response is incomplete, it fails to develop the arguments or provide a clear conclusion, which is essential for a full response. To improve, you must ensure you address all parts of the prompt—the reasons, the evaluation of the trend, and relevant examples—while meeting the minimum length requirement to allow for full development of your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay shows a basic level of organization. You use a clear introductory sentence and transition into your first body paragraph with 'In my opinion, one reason...'. However, because the essay is incomplete, the overall progression is interrupted. The use of cohesive devices like 'due to which' is present but slightly repetitive. To reach a higher band, you need to ensure that your ideas are fully developed into complete paragraphs with clear topic sentences and logical transitions between them. The current structure is too fragmented to demonstrate effective paragraphing or a logical flow of ideas throughout a complete argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the length provided, using terms such as 'concrete form', 'excessive use', and 'external appreciation'. These choices are generally appropriate and help convey your meaning clearly. However, there are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'taking immense photos', which is not a standard collocation. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary. While the current range is sufficient for the limited text produced, it lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

Your sentence structures are generally clear, and you demonstrate the ability to use complex sentences, such as 'It has become a norm to post every activity on social media due to which the actual purpose of the activity is lost...'. There are very few grammatical errors in the text provided, which is a strength. However, the range of structures is limited by the brevity of the response. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while maintaining the high level of accuracy you have shown here.

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

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