Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)
People have different views about whether professional photographers should be allowed to follow famous people wherever they go. While some believe that photographing celebrities is justified because the public is interested in their lives, others think that it is an invasion of privacy. In my opinion, famous people deserve the same right to privacy as everyone else, and photographers should respect this.
On the one hand, many people argue that celebrities should accept public attention because they have chosen a life in the public eye. This is because actors, athletes, and musicians often earn their popularity through media exposure, and many fans are interested in their daily lives. For example, photographs of celebrities attending public events or promoting new projects attract millions of readers and viewers. As a result, newspapers, magazines, and online media can satisfy public interest while celebrities also receive publicity for their work. Furthermore, such media coverage can contribute to their professional success.
On the other hand, many people believe that photographers should not follow famous individuals everywhere because everyone deserves privacy. Constant attention from the media can create stress and make it difficult for celebrities and their families to live normal lives. For instance, some photographers wait outside celebrities' homes or follow them during private holidays, which can be both disturbing and unsafe. However, I believe that public interest should not justify invading someone's personal life. Therefore, photographers should only take photographs at public events where celebrities expect media attention.
## Conclusion
In conclusion, although media coverage helps satisfy public curiosity and promote celebrities' careers, I believe photographers should respect their privacy. Famous people may be public figures, but they still deserve personal space outside their professional lives.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have clearly discussed both perspectives—the public interest argument and the privacy argument—and provided a distinct personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of celebrities attending public events versus the intrusion into their private homes. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the arguments are logically extended. To reach a higher band, you could further explore the nuance of the 'public figure' status, perhaps discussing the legal or ethical boundaries of paparazzi behavior in more depth.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the transition between the two viewpoints is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices like 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Furthermore.' The use of referencing is accurate, and the paragraphing is logical and effective. The flow of the argument is natural, and the relationship between ideas is easy to follow. The essay demonstrates a high level of control over cohesive features, ensuring that the reader is guided through the argument without any confusion.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'public eye,' 'media exposure,' and 'invading someone's personal life' are used correctly and naturally. There is an attempt to use less common lexical items, and the word choice is generally accurate and appropriate for the formal tone of an IELTS essay. While the vocabulary is effective, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions related to media ethics or privacy rights could elevate the lexical range further toward a band 8 or 9.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The essay displays a good variety of complex structures, such as conditional-like clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'While some believe that...', 'Although media coverage helps...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and tense usage is strong. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. To achieve a higher score, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex sentence forms, such as inversion or more sophisticated passive constructions, to demonstrate even greater flexibility in your grammatical range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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