Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
A huge number of human beings go to famous places to click pictures of their own but they do not even look at the place properly. My essay is going to throw a light on reasons that why it is happening. Also, I will be discussing whether is it a positive thing or negative.
To embark on, the modern era is time of social media. Each and every person is using different apps to post or stay connected with world but in that race everyone forget how to stay in touch with the things or places around them. This is the biggest reasons that whenever people go anywhere they just take photos of themselves to upload them on social sites to get more likes or views instead of looking at beauty or history of a place. People just want to take numerous pictures so they can show them to their family orb friends or can show off about their trips and tours anywhere.
Another big reason behind this is people are too much invested in their own shelves. To be honest, nobody really cares what is happening around them. This generation do not look at places but they only cares whether their pictures are being clicked out nice or not.
To conclude with, in my opinion this is a negative trend as we should always be aware of our surroundings and always try to get more knowledge on the famous places we visit as it is considerably important to stay connected as well as to know our extraordinary spots.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend and the opinion on whether it is positive or negative. However, the development is quite limited. The ideas regarding social media and self-obsession are relevant but remain superficial. For instance, the explanation of why people take photos is repetitive, focusing mainly on 'likes' and 'showing off' without exploring deeper psychological or cultural factors. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or elaborate on the consequences of this trend to extend your arguments further. The position is clear, but the overall depth of the essay is insufficient for a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'To embark on' and 'To conclude with' are used, but they do not always flow naturally with the following sentences. Additionally, there are issues with referencing; for example, the transition between the reasons and the conclusion is abrupt. The logical progression is present but lacks the sophisticated linking required for higher bands. Improving the variety of transition words and ensuring that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one will enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'huge number of human beings' and 'click pictures'. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'invested in their own shelves' (likely meaning 'selves') and 'clicked out nice'. These errors occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and idiomatic collocations related to technology, travel, and social behavior, while ensuring that your word choices are accurate and contextually appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'reasons that why it is happening', 'everyone forget', and 'This generation do not look'. These errors are frequent and sometimes impede the flow of the text. While you attempt to use complex sentences, the control over verb agreement and sentence construction is weak. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and proofreading for basic grammatical slips. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will be essential for achieving a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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