Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-17

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)

In recent years, taking photographs has become an integral part of travelling, particularly at famous tourist attractions. many people appear to be more interested

in capturing themselves than appreciating the places they visit . this trend is mainly driven by social media the desire for online and i believe that it is largely negative.

There are several reason why this behaviour has become increasingly common . the most significant factors is the widespread and use of social networking platforms such as instagram, facebook , there are various kind of thing to frequently shaare phhotographs ro demonstrate their experience and lifestyles. another reason is the desire for approval people may feel thet receiving numerous like and positive comments makes thieir trips more meaningful or succcessful. for example , a young traveller visiting the eiffel tower may speand considerable time taking selfies and selecting the best photograph for social media

In my point view, this is predominantly a negative development because it can reduce the people ability to appreciate the cultural and historical significance of tourist destinations. furthermore , excessive dependence on social media can encourage people to compare their experiences with those of other , creating expactation about travel . nevertheless , photography it self is not harmful, as taking few picture can preserve valuable memories .

In conclusion, the growing tendencey to focus on selfies rather than the destination itself is largely the result of social media and the pursuit of online attention. although taking photographs can to dominate a treve

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 limited. While the mention of social media and the desire for validation is relevant, the explanation could be more deeply explored with more sophisticated examples. The conclusion is incomplete, which impacts the overall development of the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that all paragraphs are fully developed and that the conclusion provides a comprehensive summary of the main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or missing. For instance, the transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt, and there are issues with punctuation, such as missing capital letters at the start of sentences and inconsistent spacing. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between ideas could be smoother. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring consistent paragraph structure would significantly enhance the coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several spelling errors, such as 'shaare', 'phhotographs', 'speand', 'succcessful', and 'tendencey', which distract the reader. The range of vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'good' or 'bad' concepts without using more sophisticated collocations or topic-specific terminology. To improve, focus on expanding your range of academic vocabulary and pay closer attention to spelling accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the most significant factors is'), missing articles, and incorrect punctuation. The sentence structure is often fragmented, particularly in the introduction and conclusion. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence boundary control and proofreading for basic errors would be beneficial.

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