Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-03

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 6.0)

In recent years, majority of the visitors are keen to capture themselves while visiting famous places, instead of exploring the site. This essay will examine why this thing is happening, and explain why its drawbacks outweigh the benefits.

Social media is one the main reasons that people are inclined towards the taking selfies or photographs of themselves during the visits of famous places. Because they think posting on social media may give them special attention in their social circle. For instance, during the parties or get together they want to become the central part of the talk because of their trip, as everybody may ask them questions related to that specific visit. Furthermore, some people take pictures to have a lifetime memory. Some people are interested in keeping the album for them and their kids, so they add pictures of every trip in their album to watch later or to show their loved ones. This gesture helps them to refresh their good memories.

I believe the trend has more negative impacts. The people are not paying attention to the history of the visited place, instead they are busy in capturing themselves in a camera. Because of this the place is losing its importance by itself. For example, when someone is portraits themselves instead of exploring the culture or history of the famous site on social media , unknowingly they are not showing the actual worth of the visit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for the trend and expressing a clear opinion on its negative nature. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. While the reasons provided (social media validation and memory preservation) are relevant, the discussion on the negative impacts is somewhat brief and lacks sufficient supporting examples. To achieve a higher band, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed explanations and ensure the essay meets the required length to allow for a fully developed response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'For instance', 'Furthermore', and 'Because of this' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure would benefit from a more robust conclusion to summarise the main points effectively. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a smoother flow between sentences would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'social circle', 'lifetime memory', and 'culture'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'this thing is happening' (too informal) and 'portraits themselves' (incorrect usage). To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and avoid repetitive phrasing. Expanding your range of synonyms and ensuring correct word forms will help you move into a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'majority of the visitors' (missing 'the'), 'one the main reasons' (missing 'of'), and 'during the parties or get together' (should be 'get-togethers'). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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