Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-20

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)

Nowadays, an increasing number of people prefer to take photograph themselves instead of looking at the site even if it is well-known. There are some reasons for that. I believe this is a largely negative trend. This essay discuss both views.

One of the reasons why people prefer to photograph themselves instead of looking at the well-known place is that nowadays, people want to portrait themselves as a aesthetic enthusiast by giving several different poses in front of a camera. The particular reason for this circumstance is that the photo that was shot is soon posted in social medias such as Instagram to attract more number of followers. If photo was taken with a well-known site, the subject of the photograph is transformed entirely. More people appreciate the famous landmark instead of the person. Additionally, famous landmarks are often crowded with people, clicking a stunning picture would be rather difficult, since some individuals of the public are often covered within the frame.

Majority of the public often argue that photographing themselves without looking at the famous site is often a negative trend. Firstly, more accidents happens while trying to take a breathtaking picture. For instance, standing at a cliff of a mountain to click a picture. Furthermore, people miss the overall travel experience due to the fact that they become busy to choose suitable place for best photography, instead of looking at the scenery. These people often fail to appreciate the culture and history.

To sum up, while some people prefer to take photograph of themselves even if they visit a well-known place, they must undergo some basic counselling to appreciate the beauty of well-known site by including them in the photograph.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the trend and an opinion on whether it is positive or negative. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The introduction states the essay will 'discuss both views,' which is a misunderstanding of the prompt, as the task asks for your opinion on the trend, not a balanced discussion of two sides. While you provide reasons for the behavior and argue it is negative, the argument could be more deeply explored. For instance, the point about accidents is relevant but brief. To improve, ensure your position is clearly maintained throughout and that each idea is fully supported with specific, logical explanations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally,' 'Firstly,' and 'To sum up' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the progression of ideas feels slightly disjointed. For example, the transition between the reasons for the trend and the negative consequences could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, but the use of cohesive devices could be more varied and sophisticated to improve the overall flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'aesthetic enthusiast,' 'landmark,' and 'breathtaking.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation that limit the score. For example, 'social medias' should be 'social media' (as it is an uncountable noun), and 'portrait themselves' should be 'portray themselves.' Additionally, 'attract more number of followers' is slightly unnatural; 'gain a larger number of followers' would be more precise. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, more precise and natural collocations would elevate the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'take photograph themselves' (missing 'of'), 'photo that was shot is soon posted' (tense/article issues), and 'more accidents happens' (subject-verb agreement). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately. Proofreading for these small but persistent errors would significantly improve the quality of your writing.

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