Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-09

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)

Nowadays, more and more people visit famous tourist attractions mainly to take photographs of themselves rather than to enjoy or learn about the places they visit. There are several reasons for this growing trend. In my opinion, I believe this is generally a negative development because people may lose interest in the actual value of tourist attractions.

There are several reasons why this is happening. The first major reason is the increasing popularity of social media. Many people want to share attractive photographs on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook in order to receive likes, comments and attention from others. For example, tourists often take numerous selfies at famous landmarks because they want to show their friends that they have visited these places. Another important reason is the widespread use of smartphones. Modern phones have high-quality cameras, which makes it very easy for people to take photographs and share them immediately online. As a result, taking pictures has become an important part of travelling for many people.

I believe this is a negative trend for several reasons. Firstly, people may fail to appreciate the cultural and historical importance of famous places because they are mainly focused on taking photographs. For instance, a person visiting an ancient monument may spend most of their time taking selfies instead of reading about its history or understanding its importance. Furthermore, taking large numbers of photographs can disturb other tourists, especially in crowded locations. It may also encourage people to visit places only because they are popular on social media rather than because they are genuinely interested in them.

In conclusion, the popularity of social media and the easy availability of smartphones are the main reasons why people increasingly focus on taking photographs at famous places. Although photographs can help people keep memories of their trips, I believe this is mostly a negative trend because it can reduce people's appreciation of the places they visit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend (social media, smartphone technology) and the evaluation of whether it is positive or negative. The position is clear from the introduction and is maintained consistently throughout the essay. Ideas are well-developed, with relevant examples provided, such as the mention of Instagram and Facebook, and the specific scenario of visiting an ancient monument. The response is balanced and logically structured, meeting all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'The first major reason', 'Another important reason', 'As a result', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the reasons from the evaluation of the trend. The flow of information is natural and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses a range of topic-specific terms such as 'tourist attractions', 'ancient monument', 'cultural and historical importance', and 'widespread use'. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it lacks a high degree of sophistication or idiomatic flair that would characterize the highest band. However, there are no errors in word choice or collocation that impede communication, and the language used is precise enough to convey the intended meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. There is a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'Although photographs can help people keep memories of their trips, I believe this is mostly a negative trend'. Punctuation is accurate, and the majority of sentences are error-free. While the range of structures is solid, it does not consistently display the 'wide range' of complex structures required for a higher band. Nevertheless, the writing is clear, and errors are virtually non-existent.

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

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