Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-17

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, it has become incresingly common for tourists to visit famous landmarks primarily to photograph themselves rather than appreciate their surroundings. This phenomenon is largely driven by the influence of social media. Although taking photographs is a natural part of travelling, I believe that prioritising photographs over the actual experience is a negative trend.

On of the main reason for this behaviour is the growing importancee of social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok. Many people feel compelled to document their travel online and receive approvals in the form of likes and comments. Consequently, visiting a renowned attraction is sometimes viewed less as an opportunity to explore a new culture and more as a chance to produce attractive content. In addition, the widespread availabity of smartphones and photo-editing applications has made it easier than ever to create impressive images, further encouraging people to focus on photography.

Nevertheless, I consider this development largely negative because it can prevent travellers from fully appreciating the places they visit. Famous landmarks often have considerable historical, culture and agricultual significance, and overlooking these features in favour of taking selfies defeat the purposee of visiting them. For instance, someone visiting Taj Mahal might spend most of the time finding perfect camera angle instead of learning about its history. Furthermore, excessive photography can distract or frustate other vistors, particulary when people block pathways or queue for extended periods to capturee the same image.

That said, photography itself should not be discouraged, as pictures can preserve precious memories and allow people to share their experience with loved ones. The problem arises wheen taking photographs become the primary objective rather than a means of recording an enjoyable experience.

To recapitulate, social media and the desire for recognition are major reasons why tourists increasingly priorities photographs ovr their surroundings. While photographs as merits, I believe this trend is predominantly negative because it diminishes genuine engagement with the places people travel so far to experience. Tourist should therefore maintain balance between capturing memories and appreciating the moment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response addresses both questions directly: it explains the trend through social media, online approval, and accessible phone technology, then clearly judges it to be predominantly negative. Your position is consistent from the introduction to the conclusion, and the Taj Mahal example supports the point that selfie-taking can displace cultural engagement. You also add balance by acknowledging that photographs preserve memories. These relevant ideas are extended and supported, which makes the response effective. To strengthen it further, develop the causes and consequences with more specific explanation rather than broad claims—for example, clarify how online recognition influences travel choices, or give a more precise illustration of the disruption to other visitors. This would make the reasoning more fully developed and nuanced.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The essay has a clear progression: introduction and position, reasons for the behaviour, its negative effects, a qualification, and a conclusion. Paragraphs each have a recognisable purpose, and linking expressions such as “Consequently,” “Nevertheless,” and “That said” help signal the relationships between ideas. The conclusion also returns to both the cause and your evaluation. This is a well-organised response with flexible use of cohesive devices. To make the flow still more polished, ensure that each transition reflects the precise relationship between points and avoid relying mainly on familiar signposts. For instance, the shift from the negative effects to the concession is clear, but could be connected more explicitly to show that photography is not itself the problem; prioritising it is.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of topic vocabulary, including “renowned attraction,” “document their travel,” “historical significance,” and “genuine engagement.” These choices help express the argument clearly, and the meaning remains understandable throughout. There is also some variety in how you describe the trend and its effects. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms or collocations reduce precision: examples include “incresingly,” “availabity,” “agricultual,” “frustate,” and “priorities photographs.” Some phrases, such as “receive approvals” and “historical, culture … significance,” are not idiomatic or correctly formed. Proofread spelling carefully and check collocations and word forms; more consistently accurate use of this range would make the vocabulary more flexible and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You use a range of sentence forms, including complex clauses with “Although,” “because,” and “when,” and several sentences are controlled well, such as “The problem arises when taking photographs become the primary objective rather than a means of recording an enjoyable experience.” The argument is generally easy to follow, and punctuation supports the paragraph structure. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement, articles, and plural forms. For example, “On of the main reason” needs a plural noun and determiner, “someone visiting Taj Mahal” needs an article, and “taking photographs become” requires subject–verb agreement. “Tourist should therefore maintain balance” also needs plural or article adjustments. Review these patterns while retaining your varied sentence structures; more consistent accuracy would strengthen the control already evident.

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