Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Nowadays, many people visit famous tourist attractions mainly to take photographs of themselves rather than to appreciate the place itself. This trend is largely influenced by social media and the desire to share personal experiences online. In my opinion, this is mostly a negative development because it can reduce the real value of travelling.

One of the main reasons for this behaviour is the growing popularity of social media platforms. Many people want to post attractive pictures from famous locations in order to receive likes, comments and attention from others. As a result, taking a good photograph sometimes becomes more important than enjoying the destination. Another reason is that people often want to show their friends and family that they have visited a well-known place. For example, tourists may spend several minutes taking photographs in front of a famous monument without learning anything about its history or cultural importance.

I believe this is generally a negative trend. Travelling should provide people with opportunities to learn about different cultures, traditions and places. If visitors focus only on taking photographs, they may miss the real experience. Moreover, large numbers of tourists trying to take pictures at the same location can create overcrowding and disturb other visitors. However, photography itself is not necessarily harmful because photographs can help people preserve valuable memories of their trips.

In conclusion, social media and the desire to impress others are major reasons why people increasingly visit famous places mainly for photographs. Although taking pictures is a useful way to remember a journey, I believe it becomes a negative trend when people pay more attention to their photographs than to the place they are visiting.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt clearly. You have identified two main reasons for the trend—social media influence and the desire for social validation—and provided a clear, consistent position that the trend is negative. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the explanation of how the focus on photography detracts from the cultural experience of a destination. To move to a higher band, you could provide more specific, nuanced examples or explore the counter-argument (the positive aspect of photography) in slightly more depth to demonstrate a more sophisticated level of critical thinking.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'As a result', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the argument. The flow is smooth, and the relationship between the reasons and your opinion is well-maintained throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the topic, such as 'cultural importance', 'preserve valuable memories', and 'social validation'. The language is natural and precise, allowing you to convey your ideas clearly. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated, less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions to show greater flexibility and precision in your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Your control of grammar is strong, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. Punctuation is used correctly, and there are no instances where grammatical errors impede communication. You use complex structures, such as conditional sentences ('If visitors focus only on...') and concessive clauses ('Although taking pictures is...'), effectively. The writing is accurate, with only very minor slips, which is consistent with a high level of grammatical control.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.