Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-31
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)
The practice of tourists prioritising taking photographs of themselves with landmarks rather than appreciating the places they visit has become increasingly common in recent years. This trend is largely driven by the growing influence of social media and the desire for online recognition.Although taking photos facilitates people keep memories and promote tourism, I believe this is mostly a negative trend because people may not fully enjoy or appreciate the places they visit.
One main reason for this trend is social media. Nowadays, people like to share their trips with friends and followers online. They take photos at famous places to get likes, comments and attention. Also, smartphones make taking and sharing photos very easy. Therefore, some tourists focus more on taking good pictures than enjoying the place they visit.
One major reason for this trend is the influence of social media. Nowadays, people enjoy sharing their trips with friends and followers online. They often take photos at famous places to receive likes and positive comments. Since smartphones make it easy to take and share pictures, many tourists pay more attention to taking good photos than enjoying the place itself.
On the other hand, taking pictures has some benefits. They help tourists preserve memories and promote lesser known destinations through social media. However, they should not distract people from enjoying the places they visit.
In conclusion, the growing influence of social media and digital technology has encouraged tourists to prioritise capturing photographs over genuinely experiencing their surroundings. Although photography can preserve cherished memories and promote destinations, I believe this is largely a detrimental trend, as excessive focus on online recognition can undermine meaningful travel experiences.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt: it identifies reasons for the trend (social media, ease of technology) and provides a clear position that it is a negative trend. The ideas are relevant and logically developed. However, the essay suffers from a significant structural flaw: the second and third paragraphs repeat the same points almost verbatim. This redundancy suggests a lack of planning and prevents the development of more nuanced arguments or additional examples. While the position is clear throughout, the repetition limits the depth of the response, preventing it from reaching the higher bands where ideas must be fully extended and supported without unnecessary duplication.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader. However, the repetition of the entire paragraph regarding social media significantly disrupts the flow and coherence of the essay. It makes the text feel mechanical and poorly edited. To improve, the student should ensure that each paragraph introduces a distinct, non-repetitive point to maintain a smooth and logical development of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary used is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. Phrases like 'prioritising taking photographs', 'cherished memories', and 'undermine meaningful travel experiences' demonstrate a good command of language. There is some repetition of basic terms, such as 'famous places' and 'taking photos', which limits the range. While the vocabulary is accurate and conveys the intended meaning clearly, it lacks the variety and sophistication required for higher band scores. Incorporating more precise synonyms and collocations related to tourism and digital behaviour would enhance the lexical quality.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and the meaning is always clear. There is a minor error in the first paragraph: 'facilitates people keep memories' should be 'facilitates keeping memories' or 'helps people to keep memories'. Punctuation is generally correct. The range of structures is adequate, but there is limited use of more complex grammatical forms (such as conditionals or varied subordinate clauses) that would demonstrate greater control. The errors present are infrequent and do not impede communication.
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