Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13

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 6.0)

Nowadays people visiting new places and taking pictures of themselves had became the usual practice. There are plethora of reasons why people follow this propensity. I understand that this endeavour might fetch certain benefits to others but I personally, believe that there are various negative impact on the society.

To commence with, the primary reason why people take picture of themselves when ever they visit some new places or monuments is due to higher influence of social media and to flaunt in front of relatives, friends and society. This fetch them to increase the social media connections, receive umpteen compliments on their dressing style and overall looks.

I believe this totally negative trend, some individuals feel that this behaviour would effect on society and people might miss essential information about the place which they came to visit. For example, Mysore palace in Karnataka has several historical reasons like why it was built, when and what engineering techniques they used to look the place so mesmerising even though after many century’s to the mass public. Similarly, without admiring the places history and beauty, if people start taking their own photographs would route to overcrowding and also environmental degradation. For instance, authorities banned many historical places in India due to over tourism and damaging the place without understanding the importance of the place.

In conclusion, the increasing tendency to prioritise photographs over genuine experiences stems from the influence of social media and the evolving nature of tourism. However, this trend undermines the essence of travel and leads to environmental concerns.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend and the evaluation of whether it is positive or negative. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the reasons for the trend (social media influence) are clear, the discussion on the negative impact could be more deeply explored. The example of the Mysore Palace is relevant, but the connection between taking photographs and 'environmental degradation' is asserted rather than fully explained. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported by a more detailed explanation of the causal link.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To commence with', 'Similarly', and 'In conclusion'. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. For instance, the transition between the social media point and the negative impact could be smoother. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing and sentence flow, such as the awkward phrasing in the third paragraph regarding the Mysore Palace. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved to ensure a more seamless progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items like 'plethora', 'propensity', and 'endeavour'. However, there are several instances of inaccurate word choice and collocation. For example, 'had became' is grammatically incorrect, 'effect on society' should be 'affect', and 'would route to overcrowding' is an incorrect collocation. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors in word choice and the misuse of certain terms prevent the vocabulary from being considered 'flexible' or 'precise'. More attention to standard collocations would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors. Examples include 'people visiting... had became' (tense error), 'this fetch them to increase' (incorrect verb usage), 'effect on society' (confusing noun/verb), and 'century’s' (incorrect pluralization). While the student attempts complex structures, these are often marred by errors that occasionally distract the reader. To improve, the student needs to focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb tense usage, and basic punctuation, particularly regarding apostrophes and plural forms.

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

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