Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

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 prompt by discussing both views—the public interest in celebrities and the invasion of privacy—while also clearly stating the writer's own opinion in the introduction. Ideas are relevant, such as mentioning promotional benefits for celebrities and the psychological impact of being constantly watched. However, the development of some points feels slightly constrained due to the overall length of the essay. Furthermore, the length requirement of 250 words is not met, as the response contains only 232 words. This negative penalty prevents the task achievement score from reaching a higher band, reflecting a partial fulfillment of the length constraint while content remains relevant.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall structure and logical progression. It is divided into an introduction, two body paragraphs exploring opposing views, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to connect ideas, as seen with transition markers like 'On the one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is handled appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt. However, referencing and transitional flow are slightly mechanical in places, such as the abrupt shift within the third paragraph starting with 'However, being famous does not mean...', which holds the score at a solid band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate and natural range of vocabulary suitable for the task. Words and phrases such as 'professional photographers', 'public attention', 'film premieres', and 'personal space' are used accurately. There are also attempts at less common lexical items like 'curious about the lives of well-known individuals' and 'genuine interest'. While the vocabulary is generally precise and communicates the ideas effectively, it lacks the broader flexibility and more sophisticated, uncommon collocations required for higher band scores. Spelling and word choice are accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The writer successfully uses subordinate clauses and conditional contexts, such as 'Some people believe this is acceptable because...' and 'Photographers can report on public events, but they should respect private life...'. The majority of sentences are grammatically accurate, and punctuation is well controlled. Errors are very rare, which demonstrates a strong foundation in grammatical control. The variety of complex structures alongside a high proportion of error-free sentences aligns comfortably with the descriptors for a band 7.5.

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