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)
There is a significant increase in the number of people visiting popular destinations to take pictures rather investing time to explore them. This essay will throw lights on the core cause of this trend. I will conclude this essay explaining why I think this is a positive trend.
Firstly, starting with the cause of this trend. Many tourists visits well-known destinations either as a solo traveler or with their loved ones. The influence of social media is growing day by day. Most of the people decide their holiday destinations just by watching some trending reels of popular tourist destinations. They believe what they see in social media. I think this is the main cause of tempting people to visit well-known places.
I strongly believe this is a positive trend because it creates lots of employment for locals in those popular destinations. Those popular destinations do not have much scope of variations in jobs. Their sole job opportunity heavily depends upon tourists. For example: cab drivers, local restaurants, art-work vendors etc. It is good to see many people visits popular destinations only to take pictures. By doing so, they are unknowingly creating long lasting memories for them and their loved ones.
Concluding, I believe this is a positve trend.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address both parts of the prompt—the causes and your opinion on the trend—the arguments are underdeveloped. For instance, the explanation of why social media drives this behavior is superficial, and the argument regarding employment is not fully linked to the specific phenomenon of 'taking photos without looking at the place.' To improve, you must expand on your points with more detailed examples and analysis to reach the required length and depth.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Firstly', 'Concluding'). The transition between the cause of the trend and your opinion on it is abrupt. To achieve a higher band, you should use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your ideas flow more naturally between sentences. Additionally, the conclusion is very brief and does not effectively summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing, such as 'well-known places' and 'good to see'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'throw lights on the core cause' (should be 'shed light on') and 'scope of variations in jobs'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to tourism, social media influence, and economic impact, and ensure that your word choices are natural and contextually appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'Most of the people decide' (should be 'Most people'), 'tourists visits' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'creating long lasting memories for them' (should be 'for themselves'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure could be more varied to demonstrate better control. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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