Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17
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 6.5)
Nowadays, many people go to famous tourist places just to take pictures of themselves instead of enjoying the location itself. This habit is mostly caused by the popular use of social media, and I believe it is a negative development overall.
The main reason for this trend is the influence of social media networks such as Instagram and Facebook. People today want to show their online friends that they are living an exciting life. They feel happy when they receive likes and comments on their photos. Therefore, when they visit famous places like the Eiffel Tower, their main aim is to get a good photo for their profile. For example, many young travelers spend a lot of time taking selfies in different poses and then leave the spot immediately without learning about its history or culture.
In my opinion, this is a negative trend for two important reasons. Firstly, people miss the real meaning of travel. Traveling should be about relaxing, learning new things, and connecting with nature or local culture. If a person only focuses on taking photos, they cannot truly enjoy the experience. Secondly, it causes problems at popular places. Crowds of people standing everywhere to take photos often block the way for others and create noise, which makes the visit unpleasant for other tourists.
To conclude, people are focusing more on taking selfies at famous destinations because they want social media attention. This is a negative trend because it ruins the true experience of traveling and creates unnecessary crowds at tourist spots.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining why people visit famous places just for photographs and clearly stating a position on whether this is a positive or negative trend. The student presents well-developed ideas, such as the desire for social media validation and the subsequent loss of authentic travel experiences and creation of crowds. For example, the mention of travelers spending time on selfies and leaving immediately without learning about history effectively supports the main arguments. The position is maintained clearly throughout the essay, demonstrating a solid understanding of the requirements for this task type and earning a strong band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with an introduction, moving to causes, then to impacts, and finishing with a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, such as 'The main reason for this trend', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude', which guide the reader smoothly through the argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively. While referencing is generally clear and straightforward, the cohesion remains functional rather than sophisticated, placing it comfortably within the Band 7 range.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, employing terms like 'social media networks', 'destination', 'authenticity', and 'tourist spots'. There are also successful attempts at less common lexical items such as 'validation' implied through 'social media attention' and 'unpleasant'. Word choices are generally natural and appropriate for the context, with only minor limitations in range. Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout the text, ensuring that communication is never hindered.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The writer demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures effectively, such as 'If a person only focuses on taking photos, they cannot truly enjoy the experience.' There is a high proportion of error-free sentences, and grammatical control over tense and subject-verb agreement is strong. Punctuation is accurate, and any minor slips do not impede communication in any way. The grammatical range and accuracy consistently support the clear delivery of ideas.
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