Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-11

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 enjoy or learn about the place. This trend has become very common, especially among young people. I believe social media is the main reason for this behaviour, and overall, I consider it a negative trend.

One major reason is the popularity of social media platforms. People often want to share attractive pictures of their trips with friends and followers. Visiting a famous location and posting a photograph can receive many likes and comments. As a result, some tourists become more interested in getting the perfect picture than understanding the history, culture, or importance of the place. For example, someone visiting the Eiffel Tower may spend most of their time taking selfies instead of appreciating its architecture and history.

In my opinion, this trend has several negative effects. Firstly, people may not fully enjoy their travel experience because they are constantly using their phones or cameras. They may return home with hundreds of photographs but very few meaningful memories. Secondly, excessive photography can disturb other visitors, particularly in museums, religious places, and historical sites. In some cases, people may even take dangerous risks to capture an impressive photograph.

However, taking pictures is not always negative because photographs help people remember special moments and share their experiences with family and friends. The problem occurs when photography becomes the main purpose of travelling.

In conclusion, social media has encouraged people to focus more on photographs at famous places. Although taking pictures has benefits, I believe this is mostly a negative trend when people stop appreciating the places they visit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing clear reasons for the trend and a definitive stance on whether it is positive or negative. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the explanation of social media's influence and the negative impact on the travel experience. The argument is consistent throughout, and the inclusion of a counter-argument in the fourth paragraph adds depth to the discussion. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific, nuanced examples or explore the psychological motivations behind this behavior in greater detail to further extend the analysis.

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. Cohesive devices such as 'One major reason', 'As a result', 'Firstly', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The referencing is clear, and the structure is coherent throughout. The flow is natural, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, meeting the requirements for a well-managed response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses relevant terms such as 'tourist attractions', 'architecture', 'meaningful memories', and 'excessive photography'. While the range is adequate for the topic, it lacks a high degree of sophistication or less common idiomatic expressions that would characterize a higher band. The word choice is precise enough to convey the intended meaning without error. To improve, the student should aim to incorporate more academic collocations or nuanced synonyms to demonstrate a wider, more flexible range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is accurate. The use of complex structures, such as 'Although taking pictures has benefits, I believe this is mostly a negative trend when people stop appreciating the places they visit', shows a good command of syntax. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. To achieve a higher score, the student could experiment with a greater variety of complex grammatical forms, such as inversion or more sophisticated conditional sentences.

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