Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-12

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 6.5)

Nowadays, more and more people visit famous tourist attraction mainly to take photographs of themselves rather than to enjoy the places they are visiting. This trend has become particularly common because of the influence of social media. In my opinion, although taking photographs has some pros this is generally a negative development.

There are several reasons why this is happening. Firstly, social media platforms have made people more interested in sharing their personal experiences with others. Many people want to upload attractive pictures to Instagram, Facebook or TikTok in order to receive likes and positive comments. Consequently, taking a good photograph has become an important part of travelling. Secondly, the smartphones have made photography extremely convenient, people can now take high-quality pictures and some travellers simply want to keep photographs as memories of their trip and show them to their friends and relatives.

Despite these reasons, I believe that this trend has more negative consequences. The main problem is that people may not properly experience to places they visit. For instance, a tourist visiting a historical monument might spend a considerable amount of time taking selfies instead of learning about its historical or appreciating its architecture.

Furthermore, tourists who are focused on taking photographs may ignore local customs and culture. In some cases, they may disturb other visitors by repeatedly taking pictures in crowded areas.

On the other hands, photography itself is not necessarily harmful. Taking a few photographs can help people preserve special memories and share beautiful experiences with their loved ones. The problem occurs when taking pictures becomes the main purpose of the visit.

In conclusion, the popularity of social media and smartphones is encouraging people to focus more an photographs then on the places themselves. Although photography can preserve valuable memories, I believe this is negative trend when it prevents people from genuinely experience the beauty, history and culture of their destinations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing clear reasons for the trend and a well-defined position on whether it is positive or negative. Your ideas are relevant and logically developed, particularly in the second and third paragraphs. To reach a higher band, you could further extend your arguments by exploring the psychological impact of this trend or the long-term effects on heritage sites. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarises your stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Consequently', 'Despite these reasons', and 'Furthermore' to link your thoughts effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the structure is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'historical monument', 'genuinely experience', and 'preserve special memories' are used effectively. There are a few minor errors, such as 'experience to places' (should be 'experience the places') and 'an photographs then on the' (should be 'on photographs than on the'). While you use some less common items, increasing your use of more academic collocations would help elevate your score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free. However, there are a few grammatical slips, such as 'the smartphones have made' (the article 'the' is unnecessary here) and 'this is negative trend' (missing the article 'a'). Despite these occasional errors, your control of grammar is good, and your meaning is never obscured. To improve, ensure you proofread for small articles and prepositions.

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