Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-23

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)

Nowadays, famous people are often followed by photographers who take pictures of them wherever they go. Some people believe this is acceptable because the public wants to know about their lives, while others think it is wrong to follow them all the time. I believe that famous people should have the same basic right to privacy as everyone else.

On the one hand, there are some reasons why people support this type of photography. Many celebrities are interested in public attention because it can help them promote their films, businesses or other work. Furthermore, people are naturally curious about the lives of well-known individuals. Photographs can therefore give the public information and entertainment. Consequently, taking pictures at public events, such as award ceremonies or film premieres, can be considered reasonable.

On the other hand, constantly following famous people can cause serious problems. They may want to spend time with their families or friends without being watched or photographed. Moreover, being followed everywhere can make them feel uncomfortable and stressed. However, being famous does not mean that a person has given up all their privacy. Nevertheless, some photographers continue to take pictures even when celebrities clearly want to be left alone.

In conclusion, although the public may have a genuine interest in celebrities, this interest should have limits. Photographers can report on public events, but they should respect private life and personal space.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—the public interest in celebrities and the invasion of privacy—while also clearly stating the writer's personal opinion in the introduction. Ideas are relevant, with the first body paragraph explaining why people support the photography and the second exploring the negative impacts. However, the development is slightly constrained by the overall length, as the response contains only 232 words, thus failing to meet the minimum 250-word requirement. Consequently, the task response is underdeveloped in parts, which pulls the score down into Band 5.5. To improve, the writer must ensure they expand more fully on their ideas and consistently meet or exceed the minimum word limit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall arrangement and logical progression throughout. The response is divided into sensible paragraphs, with a distinct introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to connect ideas, as seen with phrases like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion'. Referencing is generally clear, though paragraph transitions could be smoother in places. For instance, the sentence 'However, being famous does not mean that a person has given up all their privacy' in the third paragraph slightly disrupts the flow of the argument regarding stress and discomfort. Overall, cohesion is adequate for a Band 6.0 rating.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'celebrities', 'award ceremonies', 'film premieres', and 'personal space'. There are appropriate attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'genuinely' and 'curious'. Word choice and spelling are generally accurate, and errors do not impede communication. However, the lexical range remains somewhat safe and standard rather than wide or flexible, lacking the sophisticated or less common lexical items characteristic of higher bands. Therefore, the vocabulary is well-suited for a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional-like structures effectively (e.g., 'photographers who take pictures of them wherever they go' and 'even when celebrities clearly want to be left alone'). There is good control over basic punctuation and grammar, and most sentences are grammatically sound. Errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. The control shown here comfortably sits within the Band 6.5 descriptor, as the sentence structures show variety and frequent error-free sentences.

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