Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21

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 7.5)

Nowadays, more and more people visit famous places mainly to take photographs of themselves rather than to enjoy the location. This trend is becoming common because of social media and the desire to share personal experiences online. In my opinion, it is mostly a negative development because people may miss the opportunity to appreciate the places they visit.

One major reason for this trend is the growing popularity of social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. People often want to post attractive photographs to show their friends where they have travelled. Getting a picture at a famous landmark can also make people feel that they have achieved something worth sharing. In addition, modern smartphones make it very easy to take high-quality photographs and immediately upload them online.

There are some positive aspects to this behavior. Taking photographs allows people to keep memories of their trips and share them with family and friends. Photos can also encourage others to learn about and visit interesting destinations. However, I believe the negative effects are more significant. Some tourists become so focused on taking the perfect photograph that they pay little attention to the history, culture or natural beauty of the place. For example, a person visiting a historic monument may spend most of the time taking selfies instead of learning about its importance.

In conclusion, the increasing popularity of social media and the desire for online recognition are the main reasons for this trend. Although taking photographs can preserve memories and inspire others to travel, I believe it is generally negative when people focus on photographs instead of experiencing the place itself.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt clearly. You have identified the reasons for the trend (social media, desire for recognition) and provided a clear position that it is a negative development. The ideas are well-supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of tourists ignoring the history of monuments to take selfies. The argument is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes your stance. To reach a higher band, you could further extend your ideas by discussing the long-term impact on cultural heritage or the psychological effects of 'performative' travel, which would add more depth to your analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the reasons for the trend and the evaluation of its impact is smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In addition', 'However', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is appropriate, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The flow is natural, and there is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive linking, which demonstrates a good command of organizational structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'performative travel' or 'cultural heritage' could have elevated the response, but your current usage is accurate and appropriate for the task. You successfully use terms such as 'landmark', 'recognition', and 'preserve memories'. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items to show a greater degree of flexibility and style, as the current vocabulary is functional but somewhat standard.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Your grammar is generally accurate, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. You use complex structures, such as 'Some tourists become so focused on... that they pay little attention to...', which are handled correctly. Punctuation is used effectively to support the clarity of your writing. While the control is strong, there is a lack of highly complex or varied grammatical structures that would be expected at the highest band levels. However, the current level of accuracy is very high, and communication is never impeded.

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