Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-14

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, an increasing number of people visit famous tourist attractions mainly to take photographs of themselves rather than to appreciate the places they are visiting. This trend is largely driven by social media and the desire to share experiences online. In my opinion, this is a negative development because it can reduce people's appreciation of different cultures and turn travel into a superficial activity.

One major reason for this behaviour is the growing influence of social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. People often want to post attractive photographs to show their friends and followers where they have been. As a result, taking a perfect photograph has become an important part of travelling for many people. Another reason is that modern smartphones make it extremely easy to take high-quality pictures and share them instantly. Consequently, some tourists focus more on creating content than on experiencing the destination itself.

I believe this is mainly a negative trend. When visitors are more interested in taking selfies than observing their surroundings, they may fail to understand the historical and cultural importance of famous places. For example, someone visiting a historical monument may spend most of their time choosing the right angle for a photograph instead of learning about its history. Moreover, excessive photography can sometimes disturb other visitors and even cause damage to important tourist sites.

In conclusion, the popularity of social media and smartphones has encouraged people to focus heavily on photographing themselves at famous destinations. Although taking photographs can help people preserve memories, I believe that ignoring the actual place makes this a predominantly negative trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining why people photograph themselves at famous places instead of appreciating them, and clearly states a position that this is a negative trend. The introduction outlines the writer's stance, and each body paragraph provides relevant ideas that are extended and supported with appropriate examples, such as someone visiting a historical monument and focusing on camera angles. The progression of ideas is logical, covering both the causes through social media influence and the consequences through superficial engagement. The ideas are well-developed and directly answer the two-part question within the required scope, aligning well with the descriptors for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, beginning with an introduction, followed by distinct body paragraphs focusing on causes and effects respectively, and a clear concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Nowadays', 'One major reason', 'Another reason', and 'Consequently' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, and referencing is clear throughout the text, allowing the reader to follow the train of thought without confusion, which fits the Band 7.0 descriptor for logical organisation.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary that allows for some flexibility and precision, such as 'tourist attractions', 'superficial activity', 'historical monument', and 'excessive photography'. There is some awareness of collocation and style, evident in phrases like 'growing influence' and 'preserve memories'. While the vocabulary is adequate and generally appropriate for the task, it lacks the more sophisticated, uncommon lexical items and effortless flexibility characteristic of Band 8.0. There are occasional standard collocations, but fewer genuinely advanced or precise expressions, making Band 7.0 the most accurate assessment for this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writing exhibits a good variety of complex structures alongside simple sentences, such as 'When visitors are more interested in taking selfies than observing their surroundings, they may fail to understand...' and 'Although photographs can help people preserve memories, I believe that...'. There are frequent error-free sentences, and the control of grammar and punctuation is generally strong throughout the essay. The few minor errors are non-systematic and do not impede communication at all. The range of sentence forms and overall accuracy comfortably satisfy the criteria for a Band 7.0 performance.

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