Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-16

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)

Visiting places has become an aesthetically pleasing event. In the current scenario, it is seen that majority of folks' tends to focus on creating memories rather than understanding the underlying reasons of such historical places. However, I personally believe that it is crucial to know the values and history that a place has to offer. This essay will discover the negatives of such trends while not ignoring the positives.

Renowned places is often seen a buildings either of national interest or historical significance. For example, there are ample of places such as 'Buckingham Palace', 'Taj Mahal' and 'India-Pakistan Border at Amritsar'. All these places has a significant history which people forget to read while sight seeing. It indicates the culture of ancient times and dictates the stories which are never heard of or discussed in daily life.

The values and culture of these monuments or architectures can only transfer from one person to other through travel blogs. For example, tourists visiting from different countries can share their travel stories only if they read the history and understood the importance. Its significance resides forever in the foundation of these buildings.

On the other hand, it is pivotal to create memories in order to remember where they travel when they were young or retired. For example, it makes individuals feel good and lively by clicking photos and video graphing of monuments along with themselves. Hence, it can provide them a moment to cherish their travel even after a span of time.

Furthermore, it could help the individuals in a medical way. For example, if a person suffers from dementia, they will forget what they remembered once, however, if they have their travel videos or photos visiting places, it might eventually help them remember the moments they once cherished.

To sum up, both the factors have their own ways of describing the positives, therefore, learning the significance of well- known places are much pivotal. However, photographs can also contribute a little in reliving the days spent on visiting such historical places.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the trend and an evaluation of whether it is positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While you provide reasons for the trend (creating memories), the discussion on the 'negative' aspect is slightly underdeveloped. You mention that people forget the history of places, but the link between this and the 'negative' trend could be more explicitly argued. The position is clear throughout, but the conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a deeper analysis of the 'why' and 'how' behind your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'For example', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the phrase 'For example' is used at the start of almost every paragraph, which limits the flow. Additionally, the referencing in the third paragraph ('The values and culture... can only transfer... through travel blogs') is slightly confusing, as it is unclear how this relates to the main topic of taking photographs. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'aesthetically pleasing', 'historical significance', and 'cherish'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'majority of folks' tends' contains a subject-verb agreement error, and 'video graphing' is not the standard term for taking videos. You also use 'pivotal' twice in close proximity, which suggests a limited range of synonyms. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more academic or topic-specific terms would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Renowned places is often seen', 'All these places has a significant history') and awkward phrasing ('learning the significance... are much pivotal'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in article usage and pluralization. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate more consistent control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical errors, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement.

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

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