Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-04

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 7.0)

Nowadays, people visit well-known places just to take photographs of themselves, without looking at the place. This essay will discuss the main reasons behind why this is happening and why I think that it's a negative trend.

There are several reasons why this trend is becoming increasingly common. One major reason is the growing influence of social media, as people often want to create attractive content and receive attention from their followers. In addition, taking photographs has become an easy way for people to share their experiences with friends and family. For example, when I visited Niagara Falls, I noticed that many visitors were more focused on taking pictures of themselves than appreciating the scenery. Therefore, social media and the desire to share personal experiences are two major reasons behind this trend.

Regarding the second question, I believe that this is a negative trend. One important reason is that people may miss the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and atmosphere of the places they visit. This is because they become more concerned about taking the perfect photograph than enjoying the actual experience. For instance, during my visit to Niagara Falls, I saw some people spending a lot of time taking selfies instead of looking at the waterfall and enjoying the surroundings. Therefore, although photographs can help people remember their trips, focusing too much on them can reduce the enjoyment of the actual place.

In conclusion, this trend is mainly caused by the influence of social media and people’s desire to share their experiences online. However, I believe it is a negative development because excessive focus on photographs can prevent people from fully enjoying and appreciating the places they visit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, providing clear reasons for the trend and a well-defined position regarding its negative nature. The ideas are relevant and supported by personal examples, such as the visit to Niagara Falls. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive; the same example is used in both the second and third paragraphs, which limits the depth of the argument. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more varied evidence or explore the implications of the trend in greater detail, perhaps by discussing the psychological impact or the broader cultural shift in how we document travel.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition,' 'Therefore,' and 'Regarding the second question' effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the text. To improve, ensure that you vary your transition words slightly more to avoid a mechanical feel, and focus on ensuring that the internal flow within paragraphs is as smooth as the transitions between them.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'growing influence,' 'appreciating the scenery,' and 'excessive focus' are used accurately. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the sophistication or 'less common' lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations or topic-specific vocabulary related to tourism, digital culture, or human behavior. For example, instead of 'attractive content,' you could use 'curated digital presence' or 'aesthetically pleasing imagery' to add more nuance to your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is accurate throughout. You successfully use complex structures, such as 'although photographs can help people remember their trips, focusing too much on them can reduce the enjoyment of the actual place.' While the grammar is reliable, the range of structures is somewhat limited. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical forms, such as passive voice constructions or conditional sentences, to demonstrate greater flexibility.

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