Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-27

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 this modernised world, it is increasingly common for individuals to visit well-known places with the intention to capture photographs, rather than exploring their destination. Social media influence and peer pressure are the two prominent factors behind this trend and I believe it is an entirely negative trend because it reduces people's appreciation for cultural and historical values and raises safety concerns.

One of the primary reasons why individuals are inclined towards taking photographs is the growing influence of social media. This is largely because these social platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, share aesthetic pictures to gain attention through likes and comments. Thus, with this strategy, adventurous individuals are more likely to be influenced to visit those places to recreate similar pictures with the same backgrounds. As a result, individuals visit those popular destinations to click pictures instead of exploring the historical significance of those particular places.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 148 words long. Consequently, the development of ideas is severely limited. While you clearly state your position and identify two reasons (social media influence and peer pressure), you only begin to develop the first point. The second point (peer pressure) and the second part of the prompt (the negative impacts of safety and cultural appreciation) are mentioned in the introduction but are not explored in the body paragraphs. To improve, you must expand each point with detailed explanations and relevant examples to meet the length requirement and fully address all parts of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response shows a basic level of organization. You use an introductory paragraph and one body paragraph, with clear topic sentences. Cohesive devices such as 'In this modernised world', 'This is largely because', and 'As a result' are used effectively to link ideas. However, because the essay is incomplete, the overall progression of the argument is cut short. To achieve a higher band, you need to ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that there is a clear, logical flow between multiple body paragraphs, leading to a concluding summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the topic, such as 'modernised world', 'aesthetic pictures', and 'historical significance'. The word choice is generally accurate and helps convey your meaning clearly. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary. For example, instead of 'gain attention', you could use 'garner validation' or 'cultivate an online persona'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'One of the primary reasons why individuals are inclined towards taking photographs is the growing influence of social media.' There are no major grammatical errors that impede communication. To improve, you should focus on increasing the variety of complex sentence structures and ensuring that your punctuation is consistently precise. The current length makes it difficult to assess your ability to sustain complex grammatical control over a longer piece of writing.

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