Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-07

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 5.5)

An increasing number of individuals are going to visit famous places to click pictures of themselves even they do not look at place. This trend happens due to digital technology, and it has a positive impact because it helps people to improve their communication skill.

The main reason is modern technology. Internet allows people to search worldwide, so when people scroll on the internet, it shows them quite unique places where people have never been before. Therefore, people decide to visit those well-known places so that they take photos to upload on social media application, such as Instagram. For example, in Canada, many people just visit the place because it is well-known, but they do not even know the history of the place. However, I believe that people must research about the place rather than visiting randomly so that they understand what a special thing, brought them there.

Moving towards the positive side is to have a strong communication skills. When people travel to another country, they not only have to meet new culture, but also different language. They have to learn it so that they understand people's communication. As a result, people gain the knowledge of new language. For example, in The US, the majority of people visit New York city, because of statue of liberty, they capture their memories in pictures and learn about international language. I think that this trend helps people to learn new language so they must visit well-known places.

In conclusion, although social media helps people to get connected with places by searching on it, its positive side is crucial for people's connection and strong bonding by involving in a new language.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for the trend and providing an opinion on whether it is positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat weak. The argument that taking photos at tourist sites improves communication skills is not logically convincing and lacks a clear connection to the prompt's focus on ignoring the actual place. The example regarding New York and the Statue of Liberty is tangential and does not effectively support the claim that this trend is positive. To reach a higher band, you should ensure your arguments are more directly relevant to the prompt and provide more logical explanations for your position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the second body paragraph where the link between tourism and language acquisition is not clearly established. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and some transitions feel mechanical. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that each paragraph has a single, well-developed focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some repetitive phrasing, such as 'well-known places' and 'people', which limits the sophistication of your expression. There are also some minor collocation errors, such as 'click pictures' (better: 'take photographs') and 'research about the place' (better: 'research the place'). While the meaning is always clear, the lexical range is somewhat restricted, and you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary and idiomatic expressions to demonstrate greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'even they do not look at place' (missing article and conjunction), 'Internet allows' (missing article), and 'what a special thing, brought them there' (incorrect punctuation and phrasing). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and refining your sentence structure to ensure that complex sentences are constructed accurately.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.