Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-09

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays famous people are photographed by professional photographers everywhere they go. Some people say this is a good thing because the public are interested in their lives. Other people think that photographers are wrong to follow famous people.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Some people believe that due to the increased public interest in the lives of celebrities, it is a positive trend that they get their pictures taken by professionals everywhere they go. A few others object to this because they think this is an invasion of their privacy. I personally believe it has its pros and cons because famous people are also humans and deserve to have some level of privacy, but the public also needs to be aware of their daily activities because they serve as role models for many.

On one hand, influential people act as role models for the current generation and putting their lives in the open will make individuals see their daily activities and become inspired by their way of life. For instance, a popular fitness coach in Nigeria started a trend in 2022 and this influenced a lot of people to lose weight, stay fit and eat healthy, all because she had a Blog titled "spend everyday with me as i become a fit girlie". In addition, this led to a decrease in the rate of obesity and more young people kept on with this trend even till date.

On the other hand, celebrities are also humans and as much as they need to put themselves in the eyes of the public, there is need for them to have a private time to decompress and be themselves. As a popular Nigerian singer said in his song "celebrity life is not easy". He made that statement in a song where he was explaining how too much is expected from them and the public tends to forget that they are just normal people with different talents.

Ultimately, I think it is important to strike a balance between what is shown to the media and what is kept a secret.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the role model aspect and the need for privacy. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The example regarding the fitness coach is specific and well-integrated, but the second body paragraph relies on a vague reference to a song rather than a more robust explanation of the ethical implications of paparazzi culture. To reach a higher band, the arguments could be extended further with more depth and analysis, particularly regarding the 'right to privacy' versus 'public interest' debate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'On one hand', 'In addition', and 'Ultimately', which help guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph could be smoother, and some of the cohesive links are a bit mechanical. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task and conveys the intended meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use some less common vocabulary, such as 'influential', 'decompress', and 'obesity'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances where the phrasing could be more sophisticated. For example, 'fit girlie' is informal and not suitable for an academic or formal IELTS essay. The use of collocations is generally accurate, but there is room for more precise and varied word choices to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some error-free sentences, such as 'Some people believe that due to the increased public interest in the lives of celebrities, it is a positive trend that they get their pictures taken by professionals everywhere they go.' However, there are minor grammatical slips, such as 'there is need for them to have a private time' (missing article) and 'even till date' (slightly unnatural phrasing). Punctuation is generally correct, and the errors present do not impede communication.

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