Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries and contributes a great deal to economies around the world. However, the damage tourism can cause to local cultures and the environment is often ignored.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays, tourism is crucial in contributing a great deal to economics over the world. But the damage it can cause to the native cultures and the environment is always ignored. I completely agree with this view, the disadvantages of the numerous people visiting a place can outweigh the advantages of it.

On the one hand, the main reason considering the disavantages of tourism on local cultures, is that not all of people respect the rules and regulations displayed in tourist distinations, this can gradually damage cultural identity and traditional values. for instance, in some countries, tourists wear inappropriate clothing or behave disrespectfully towards religious and cultural sites, despite the rules displayed in these places. For the environment, tourists leave rubbish in natural areas and this can contributes to pollution. Moreover, excessive tourism can damage wildlife and natural habitats.

On the other hand, the most important factor considering tourism good for economis is that it can generate a great income to local businesses. For example, in Tunisia, popular tourist destinations such as Hammamet and Djerba attract thousands of visitors every year, creating employment opportunities in hotels, restaurants and transport services. Neverthless, for cultural exchange, toursim allows people to discover different cultures and promote local traditions internationally.

In conclusion, tourism is a great deal for economies and local cultures. However, its negative consequences should not be underestimated. And governments should introduce stricter regulations to protect local cultures and the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you completely agree that tourism’s harm is often ignored, and you discuss cultural and environmental damage alongside economic benefits and cultural exchange. The examples about disrespect at religious sites, litter, wildlife, and Tunisian destinations are relevant. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the environmental point is brief, and the economic and cultural benefits are introduced without explaining how they compare with the harms. The conclusion also calls tourism “a great deal for economies and local cultures,” which does not clearly express your overall judgement. The response is 12 words below the required minimum, so there is limited space for developing your reasons. Extend each main point with explanation and make your final position precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting harms and benefits, and a conclusion. The contrast between “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” helps readers follow the structure, and examples generally appear beside the points they support. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical, and some links are unclear. In the second body paragraph, “Nevertheless” does not clearly show how cultural exchange relates to the economic benefit just discussed. The final sentence begins with “And,” making the conclusion feel loosely attached. Improve cohesion by grouping related ideas more clearly and using transitions that express the exact relationship between them; clearer referencing would also help readers track your argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “cultural identity,” “traditional values,” “employment opportunities,” and “natural habitats.” These phrases show some range beyond basic vocabulary. However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, such as “economics” for “economies,” “disavantages,” “distinations,” “Neverthless,” and “toursim.” Some collocations are also awkward: “a great deal for economies” and “the most important factor considering tourism good for economis” do not express your meaning naturally. Aim for accurate forms and more precise combinations, such as “a major contributor to the economy” and “tourism benefits local businesses.” Proofreading spelling and choosing natural collocations would make your ideas easier to read.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “the damage it can cause” and a reason clause beginning “despite the rules displayed.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. For example, “I completely agree with this view, the disadvantages…” joins two independent clauses with only a comma; “this can contributes” has incorrect verb form; and “not all of people respect” has an inaccurate determiner pattern. Capitalisation after full stops is also inconsistent, as in “for instance.” Use full stops or conjunctions to join complete clauses, check subject–verb forms, and practise accurate article and determiner patterns. These corrections will help you express the argument more reliably.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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