Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-14

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)

A lot of people are fond of traveling to famous places and explore new destinations for the sole purpose of taking photographs. They spend so much time just to get a perfect shot clicked, post them on social media and move on with their day without gaining any knowledge about the place. I feel individuals give more importance to the picture they paint to show the world. In my opinion this is a negative trend as people are only looking alive in their pictures and are distracted in reality.

Nowadays most of my friends are busy clicking pictures of the food, the place or themselves whenever we catch up as if they are trying to collect digital proof that we met. Various tourist destinations offer to get your photograph clicked as their main motive. It is disappointing to see your loved ones get lost in this imaginary wonderland. A photograph has no meaning if you did not spend time to understand the essence of the destination. It is acceptable to click pictures to some extent but visiting the place just to take a photograph seems unnecessary. It is crucial to spend time away from your phone or camera and capture the real beauty with your eyes, cherish the moment by being present. The world has many mesmerising places that are meant to be observed and adored.

In conclusion one should give importance to the place with their presence of mind. Living life in the moment and learning about the place would last longer than a photograph.

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 opinion on whether it is positive or negative. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention social media and the desire for 'digital proof,' the explanation could be further extended with more specific examples or deeper analysis of the psychological drivers behind this behavior. The ideas are relevant, but they remain at a somewhat superficial level, which prevents the response from reaching the higher bands. To improve, ensure that each main point is supported by a more detailed explanation or a concrete example.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. There is a progression of ideas, moving from the observation of the trend to the reasons and finally the personal opinion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In my opinion,' 'Nowadays,' and 'In conclusion,' though the range of these devices is somewhat limited. The flow between sentences is generally smooth, but some transitions feel a bit mechanical. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect ideas more fluidly, and ensure that referencing (e.g., using pronouns to refer back to previous concepts) is used more effectively to avoid repetition.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some appropriate phrases like 'essence of the destination' and 'mesmerising places.' However, the range is somewhat restricted, and there is a reliance on simpler vocabulary. There are also some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'get a perfect shot clicked,' which sounds slightly unnatural. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise, less common lexical items and demonstrate a better grasp of collocations and idiomatic language that fits the formal tone of an IELTS essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is generally good control over basic grammar, and errors are infrequent enough that they do not impede communication. However, the range of complex structures is limited; most sentences follow a similar pattern. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'A lot of people are fond of traveling to famous places and explore new destinations,' where the parallel structure 'exploring' would be more grammatically accurate. To improve, focus on integrating a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while maintaining high accuracy.

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

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