Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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 7.5)

In recent years, an increasing number of people have visited famous tourist attractions mainly to take photographs of themselves instead of appreciating the beauty or historical importance of these places. This trend is largely driven by social media and the desire for online recognition. In my opinion, it is a negative development because it reduces the true value of travel and can have harmful effects on popular destinations.

One of the main reasons for this trend is the rapid growth of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Many people want to share attractive photos with their followers to gain likes, comments, and popularity. As a result, they often focus more on taking the perfect selfie than learning about the culture, history, or significance of the place they are visiting. In addition, smartphones with high-quality cameras have made it easier than ever to capture and instantly upload photographs.

I believe this is a negative trend for several reasons. First, people miss the opportunity to enjoy the real experience of travelling. Instead of creating meaningful memories, they spend most of their time finding the best angle for a photograph. Second, this behavior can lead to overcrowding and damage at famous tourist attractions. Visitors may ignore rules, block pathways, or even harm historical sites simply to capture an impressive picture. This not only affects other tourists but also threatens the preservation of these valuable locations.

In conclusion, the growing habit of visiting famous places mainly for selfies is largely caused by social media influence and the desire for online attention. Although taking photographs is an enjoyable part of travelling, placing too much importance on social media rather than the travel experience itself is a negative trend that should be discouraged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have fully addressed all parts of the prompt. You clearly identified the reasons for the trend—specifically social media influence and the ease of smartphone technology—and provided a clear, consistent position that this is a negative development. Your arguments regarding the loss of the travel experience and the physical damage to tourist sites are well-supported and logically extended. The response is balanced and directly answers both questions posed in the task instructions. The development of ideas is sufficient to meet the requirements of the task, and your position is maintained throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the causes and the consequences is smooth. You make effective use of cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'First', 'Second', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion. The referencing is clear, and the flow of information is natural and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the topic. Phrases such as 'historical importance', 'rapid growth', 'meaningful memories', and 'preservation of these valuable locations' show a solid command of language. While the vocabulary is accurate and fits the context well, it is generally functional rather than highly sophisticated. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise collocations or less common idiomatic expressions related to tourism and social media behavior. However, the current range is sufficient to convey your ideas with precision and clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your writing displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as the use of 'instead of' clauses and conditional-like reasoning ('If... then' implied logic). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and tense usage is consistent. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. You successfully combine simple and complex structures to maintain a professional tone. To improve further, you could experiment with more varied sentence beginnings or more advanced subordinating conjunctions to enhance the flow and complexity of your writing.

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