Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In todays time professional photographers capture the popular people whenever they go. Few people believe that audience is interested in their lives, so it is a positive thing. However, according to others photographers should not only follow famous people. I will explain my point of view in coming paragraphs.

First of all, celebrities are known for their characters that the public sees on social media or magazines. Professional photographers take their pictures because it gives them business as well. People that think that it is a good thing to show their favourite celebrity on screen or public platforms they understand this because they are also a part of this. And I think nothing is wrong with that. People public would love to see their favourite popular person's life.

On the contrary, according to others photographers are wrong on clicking pictures of famous people. This could be their perspective of giving a person his personal space. This could also mean that photographers always keep an eye on celebrities personal life such as, following them while hanging out or making videos of them everywhere they go and sometimes they make their own kind of stories and spread rumours about

They. Though it is their job to click pictures but this could be uncomfortable for them as well.

I believe that both sides has their own point of views, and professional photographers take photos of famous people can be justified at some edge. However, some people do not like that to be done by professional only for a famous person.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument regarding the 'business' aspect of photography is mentioned but not fully explored or linked effectively to the broader societal implications. The conclusion is a bit vague, stating that photography can be 'justified at some edge,' which lacks clarity and depth. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis of why the public interest in celebrities might outweigh the need for privacy, or vice versa, rather than simply stating that both sides have a point.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward. Phrases like 'First of all' and 'On the contrary' are used, but the internal flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For instance, the transition between the discussion of photographers' motives and the impact on celebrities is abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the dangling 'They' at the start of a new paragraph, which disrupts the logical progression of the text. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'popular people' and 'good thing' repeatedly. There are also some issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'wrong on clicking pictures' and 'at some edge,' which sound unnatural. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more sophisticated or topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'paparazzi,' 'invasion of privacy,' 'public figure,' 'sensationalism') limits the score. Focusing on learning collocations and more academic synonyms will help improve your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'both sides has their own point of views'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas and the splitting of sentences. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors suggests a lack of control over more complex structures. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be a beneficial next step.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.