Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-14

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 6.0)

In our world today, popular figures are usually photographed everywhere they go to. Some argue that this is a good thing because they are public figures and their lives is up for public scrutiny. While others believe that taking pictures of popular figures is very wrong. This essay will discuss my opinion which is that it is very inappropriate for photographers to follow famous people around.

As for my own point of view, taking pictures of these popular people is not usually a good thing because it can violate their privacies. There are circumstances that they might not want to disclose to the public. However when they are always being followed by paparazzi, things they might not want to uncover to the public are exposed without their consent. For example there was a popular musician who has been very ill for a long time, but didn't want his fans to know about it. He went to restaurant one day and unknown to him, pictures of his ill state was captured and circulated all over the media space. He was very upset about the situation and complained bitterly about the difficulty it is to protect his privacy as a public figure.

On the other hand, people believe that taking professional photos of a public figure is a good thing because as famous people, lots of their fans look up to them and wants to be involved in their affairs at all time. Additionally they take these pictures out of excitement of meeting their favorite influencer. Although this act of taking pictures of popular figure can be non- malicious, however, the act can be frustrating and disturbing to them at times. They sre not allowed to be themselves in the public because they don't know who has a camera waiting to capture their vulnerable moments.

In conclusion, although some people believe that photographers take pictures of famous people out of excitement, however, I am of the opinion that this can be wrong especially when their privacies are being violated by unwarranted pictures.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and make your own position clear: the introduction and conclusion oppose photographers following famous people, while the body paragraphs explain privacy concerns and public interest. The musician example gives relevant support and shows how unwanted exposure can affect an individual. This meets the task well, but the two sides are not developed equally. The argument that fans want to know about celebrities is stated broadly, with little explanation of why this interest makes the photography beneficial to the public. The example also focuses on harm rather than weighing the competing view. To strengthen the response, explain the public-interest case more fully, then clarify why your privacy argument outweighs it. Your position is clear, though its reasoning could be more consistently extended.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting your view, a paragraph presenting the opposing view, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand” help distinguish the perspectives. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward. For example, “Although this act …, however” uses two contrast markers for the same relationship, and the conclusion repeats this pattern. The opening of the second paragraph, “As for my own point of view,” also delays the main reason rather than linking smoothly from the introduction. Improve cohesion by using fewer, more precise transitions and by connecting each example directly to the claim it supports. Clearer referencing would also help the reader follow ideas across sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “public scrutiny,” “paparazzi,” “without their consent,” and “vulnerable moments.” These expressions help communicate the privacy argument, and the meaning remains clear. There are, however, several imprecise or unnatural choices that limit flexibility and precision. “Their privacies” is not the natural form in this context; “their privacy” is preferable. “Media space” is vague, while “popular figures” is repeated where “celebrities” or “public figures” would be more natural. The phrase “involved in their affairs at all time” is also awkward. Aim for accurate collocations and avoid repeating the same labels; this will make your vocabulary sound more natural and specific.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses beginning with “because,” “although,” and “when.” This gives the response some structural variety, and most ideas can be understood. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement and sentence construction. For example, “their lives is” should be “their lives are,” and “lots of their fans … wants” should be “lots of their fans … want.” The sentence beginning “Although this act …, however” is incorrectly constructed because the two contrast forms are combined. There are also punctuation issues, such as the missing comma after “However” and the run-on structure in “For example there was…”. Review subject–verb agreement and use one clear structure for contrast; more accurate control of these patterns would improve the writing.

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