Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21

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)

In recent years, there has been a growing debate about whether professional photographers should follow famous people and take photographs of them wherever they go. Some people believe that it is acceptable because the public is interested in celebrities lives, while others argue that photographers should respect their privacy. Therefore, prior to my opinion, both the sides would be examined.

Focusing on the former view, there are several reasons why some people believe that photographing famous people is acceptable. To begin with, celebrities attract considerable public attention and many people often follow their personal and professional lives. This is because people often follow their favourite actors, singers or sports personalities through newspapers and social media. As a result, photographs of celebrities can provide entertainment and satisfy public curiosity. For example, pictures of famous people attending events or travelling can become popular in magazines and online platforms. Therefore, supporters of this view believe that photographers are simply responding to public interest.

On the other hand, others argue that photographers are wrong to follow famous people anywhere. One important reason is that celebrities should also need personal space and privacy , just like an ordinary people. In other words, being famous should not mean that every part of their private life can be publicly recorded. For instance, taking photographs of celebrities especially when they are spending time with their families may cause unnecessary stress and discomfort. Although public interest is understandable, I believe that privacy is more important when famous personalities are engaged in private activities. Hence, photographers should avoid following them in such situations.

To sum up and offer my position, I bolster the second opinion to a large extent. However, I believe that celebrities privacy should be protected, particularly during their personal time. Therefore, photographers should respect reasonable boundaries while covering public figures.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and logically developed, such as the mention of public curiosity versus the right to privacy. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more nuanced examples or explore the implications of the 'public interest' argument in greater depth, perhaps by discussing the distinction between public figures and private individuals more thoroughly. Overall, the task is well-handled with a clear structure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the progression of ideas is logical. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In other words' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more varied. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall flow is smooth, making the argument easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. The student uses some good collocations like 'public curiosity', 'unnecessary stress', and 'reasonable boundaries'. There are minor issues with word choice, such as 'bolster the second opinion' (which is slightly unnatural in this context) and 'an ordinary people' (a grammatical error affecting lexical accuracy). While the range is adequate, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Expanding the use of topic-specific vocabulary related to media ethics or privacy rights would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'celebrities lives' (missing apostrophe), 'an ordinary people' (incorrect article usage), and 'celebrities privacy' (missing apostrophe). Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the sentences are generally easy to understand. The control of punctuation is mostly good, though possessive apostrophes need attention. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and article usage to increase the number of error-free sentences.

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