Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-19
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)
It is an undeniable fact that by visiting various famous places, many people often forget to explore the place and understand its significance, as they are busy taking photos of themselves and with their loved ones. due to rapid globalisation and the show-off culture of today's societies. I believe it is a positive development. There are a few reasons, which are explained further.
The first and foremost reason to put forward is that people are using smartphones with advanced features, and the prices are affordable, which means almost everyone has one. Another reason is that today's population of todays are more Generation Z. They prefer to show off their trends by taking photos at distinct places to let their friends know how cool it is. For instance, at many religious places, more and more people are interested in clicking photos rather than worshipping.
In addition to this, it is a positive trend due to changes in geography; it is easier to visit different countries and explore their well-known architecture. To add to this, it is beneficial for their economy and cultural significance by inviting more visitors and capturing memorable buildings. For example, millions of visitors visit the Burj Khalifa, making fine revenue for the economy.
To culminate the discussion, it can be commented that indeed it is a favourable development, as more visitors capture photographs at historic locations, which brings significance and puts it in a valuable position at the global level in terms of popularity, in my opinion.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for the trend and providing a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. The argument that this is a 'positive' trend is weakly supported; the link between taking photos and economic benefits is tenuous and lacks logical depth. Furthermore, the essay falls just short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which necessitates a penalty. The ideas are somewhat repetitive, and the analysis of why people prioritize photos over the experience itself remains superficial, failing to fully explore the psychological or social drivers mentioned in the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is inconsistent. While cohesive devices like 'The first and foremost reason' and 'In addition to this' are used, they are somewhat mechanical. The transition between the reasons for the trend and the evaluation of whether it is positive is abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'today's population of todays are more Generation Z,' which is awkward and disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is present, but the internal logic within the paragraphs needs more careful structuring to ensure a smooth, coherent argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'show-off culture' and 'making fine revenue,' which are not natural collocations in an academic context. The repetition of words like 'place' and 'photos' limits the range of expression. While the meaning is clear, the student struggles to use less common lexical items effectively, often relying on basic or slightly inaccurate word choices. To improve, the student should focus on using more sophisticated synonyms and idiomatic expressions appropriate for a formal essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, the opening sentence is a sentence fragment ('due to rapid globalisation...'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and word order, such as 'today's population of todays are more Generation Z.' Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction is often clunky. While the student attempts complex structures, the lack of control over these forms results in errors that prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score.
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