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 task by clearly explaining why people photograph well-known places without looking at them, linking it to social media validation, and stating a clear personal position that it is a negative trend. Ideas are well developed and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as mentioning the Eiffel Tower and tourists leaving immediately. The writer covers both prompt questions effectively throughout the essay, demonstrating a strong understanding of the task requirements. Consequently, this performance aligns closely with Band 7 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with an introduction, followed by causes in the second paragraph, reasons for being a negative trend in the third, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, such as 'The main reason', 'Therefore', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively to separate different ideas, ensuring the reader can follow the argument with ease, which easily satisfies Band 7 criteria.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary that allows for some flexibility and precision, such as 'destination', 'culture', 'validation', and 'unpleasant'. There are attempts to use less common items and phrasal structures like 'focuses on', 'connecting with nature', and 'social media attention'. While the vocabulary is mostly standard and functional rather than exceptionally sophisticated, it is adequate for the task and allows clear communication without noticeable errors in word choice or spelling, fitting comfortably into Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional-like clauses and subordinate clauses such as 'When they visit famous places like the Eiffel Tower, their main aim is to get a good photo...' and 'If a person only focuses on taking photos, they cannot truly enjoy the experience.' Grammar and punctuation are handled with good control, and errors are rare and do not impede communication. The majority of sentences are grammatically accurate, earning this response a secure Band 7.
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