Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)
In recent years, 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 | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining why people visit well-known places to take photographs without experiencing the location, and clearly states a position that this is a negative trend. The student introduces relevant ideas, such as the desire for social media validation ('People today want to show their online friends that they are living an exciting life') and supports them with clear examples like taking selfies at the Eiffel Tower. The consequences of this trend, such as missing out on cultural enrichment and causing congestion for other tourists, are also thoroughly explored and extended, satisfying the Band 7 and bordering Band 8 requirements for task response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The writing demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct and appropriate focus: the introduction outlines the topic and writer's stance, the second paragraph explains the causes, the third discusses the negative impacts, and the final paragraph provides a concise summary. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally, such as 'The main reason for this trend', 'Therefore', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude'. Paragraphing is handled appropriately, ensuring the essay flows smoothly from one idea to the next without causing any confusion for the reader.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with adequate flexibility and precision to convey ideas clearly. Phrases like 'negative development overall', 'social media networks', 'main aim', and 'cultural enrichment' demonstrate a good control of common and semi-advanced lexical items. While the vocabulary is largely standard and does not heavily feature sophisticated uncommon idiomatic phrases, it is accurate, appropriate to the context, and free from awkward word choices or spelling errors. This aligns well with the descriptors for a Band 7 performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over grammatical structures. The student successfully incorporates complex clauses, such as 'when they visit famous places like the Eiffel Tower, their main aim is to get a good photo for their profile' and 'Crowds of people standing everywhere to take photos often block the way...'. The majority of sentences are grammatically accurate, with correct punctuation and verb tenses throughout. Errors are virtually non-existent, reflecting a solid command of grammar that comfortably meets the criteria for a Band 7, pushing close to Band 8.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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