Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-01

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 5.5)

Social media has taken a boom in last few years and no doubt everyone is completely involved in posting daily updates. Every generation is on social media nowadays and people are very particular of their profiles and accounts online. They prefer to choose places to visit which they can take great aesthetic photographs and make their online profile looks good. Influencers also plays a vital role in making people visits well know places by sharing their experiences, making reels and posts of the place, this creates a curiosity or wish in people to visit and take photographs.

Some people also loves travelling, they say, 'travel is a therapy for them'. These people use their free time in exploring places and experience a completely different vibe of their kind. They believe that this helps them thinking in a different way from others.

I think almost everyone is fond of taking photographs. This is the best way to create memories. However, some people visits places just for photos without looking at the place or knowing it. These people just look at the interior of the place for good photos but don't see the kind of place or crowd there.

For Example- People visit a well known restaurant by just looking at the images available online without seeing the reviews of their services, staff, etc, which results in dissatisfaction. Similarly, visiting a well know club for snap stories and photos without knowing of the crowd and level of club. The main reason is just the social media boost, the people are more concerned of showing their lives online rather than having a reality check of their lives offline.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the main prompt by discussing why people take photographs at well-known places without experiencing them and touches upon whether this is a negative trend through examples like dissatisfaction at restaurants. However, some parts are only partially developed or shift focus slightly, such as the second paragraph discussing travellers who view 'travel as a therapy,' which wanders away from the specific focus on mindless photography for social media. The position is generally discernible, but the ideas remain somewhat limited and under-developed, lacking deep elaboration on the societal implications of this trend. To reach a higher level, all parts of the prompt need to be fully explored with consistently extended ideas and a well-sustained, clear position throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some overall organisation, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, showing that the writer attempts to group ideas logically. However, there is no clear overall progression across the essay, and the transition between paragraphs feels abrupt at times. Cohesive devices are sometimes inadequate, inaccurate, or repetitive. For example, referencing can be unclear, such as how the second paragraph about general travellers connects to the main theme of mindless photography. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within paragraphs lacks smooth linking expressions. To improve, the writer needs to use a wider range of cohesive devices more accurately and ensure that every paragraph contributes to a clear, progressive line of argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as 'aesthetic photographs,' 'curiosity,' and 'reality check.' However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form that occasionally cause minor confusion, such as 'Social media has taken a boom' instead of 'experienced a boom,' 'makes their online profile looks good' instead of 'look good,' and 'Influencers also plays' (subject-verb agreement aside, the choice of verb form is mixed). Spelling and word formation errors, like 'well know' instead of 'well-known,' are present. To achieve a higher band, the vocabulary needs to demonstrate greater precision, better control of collocations, and fewer slips in word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside some attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause some difficulty for the reader, such as comma splices and run-on structures (e.g., 'Some people also loves travelling, they say, 'travel is a therapy for them''). Other errors include article omissions, incorrect prepositions, and pluralisation issues like 'for photos without looking at the place' and 'knowing of the crowd.' To progress, the writer must produce a better mix of error-free complex sentences, paying closer attention to subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, and correct clause coordination.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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