Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-28

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 6.5)

Nowadays, people are more interested in capturing pictures of themselves while visiting famous destinations instead of taking interest in the place itself. There are certain reasons for this increasing trend like frequently updating personal social media page for social validation and superficial standards. This essay will discuss different aspects and explain why I believe this is a negative trend.

In recent years, a lot of people have started taking pictures whether these are selfies, the food they eat or the places they visit. This trend contributes to the validation that people seek on their social media platforms by showing an extraordinary lifestyle. For example, people get more friends and followers, if they like an influencer with aesthetically pleasing routine which requires pictures to show their way of living. This compells many individuals to focus on photographs rather than taking interest in a place they are actually visiting.

Moreover, people have lost sense of appreciation as the current generation is more superficial and less interested in value of places or things around. There was a time when these tourist destinations were visited for the sake of interest in their history and architecture. People used to take them as cultural heritage or national buildings for recreational activities and understanding of historical background. However, tourists only visit them now as they need time for outing and are least concerned with the importance of that place.

From my prespective, this rising trend is negatively influencing people who are not only loosing their interest in importance of these places but also are obsessed with only capturing good pictures to post on social media accounts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the trend and the writer's opinion on whether it is positive or negative. The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the essay touches on social media validation and a loss of appreciation for history, these points could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion is quite brief and does not fully summarise the main arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'For example' are used to link sentences and ideas. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the transition between the discussion of social media and the loss of historical appreciation could be smoother to improve the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common items such as 'aesthetically pleasing', 'superficial', and 'cultural heritage'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'compells' (spelling error: compels) and 'loosing' (should be 'losing'). The range is sufficient to convey the message clearly, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. More varied vocabulary related to the topic of tourism and digital culture would enhance the quality of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'frequently updating personal social media page' (missing article 'a'), 'if they like an influencer' (should be 'if they follow'), and 'from my prespective' (spelling error: perspective). Punctuation is generally correct, but the frequency of minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The majority of sentences are understandable, but the control over complex structures is not yet consistent enough for a 7.0.

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