Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-07-28

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 6.5)

The following statement that tourism does contribute to a economies around the world but the damage to the local culture and environment is ignored has both sides to it with differing views.

On the side of agreeing with tourism as helping economies, it is clearly evident that tourism does that. Many countries have tourism as a tertiary sector activity which contributes largely to their expenditure and GDP like Dubai, Turkey, Maldives, Thailand and some European nations. These countries rely on tourism for their income which boosts their economy.

With tourism more people come to visit the country which means they are likely to spend as they are on vacations, this activity results in higher sales for restaurants, hotels, food chains. This allows for more income, more taxes payed, more salaries to employees which helps to boost the economy of the country by tourism alone. Yes there is a damage to environment by littering and cultures as well as people belong to different cultures so aren't accustomed to a specific culture however it can be argued that this brings diversity and the impact is minimal.

However tourism has its downsides as well which comprise of damage to the environment by littering, desputes between people of clashing cultures, extreme work loads for the employees which cause arm however this is pretty minimal and the benefits outweigh the cons.

In conclusion I disagree that tourism causes harm and in my view the contribution is massive, there is damage but it is very minimal and it cant' be said that it is ignored as countries take action to clean the litter, impose fines which help reduce it. The impact is great to the economies of a country and tourism is vital to it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the economic benefits of tourism outweigh the negative impacts. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention environmental damage and cultural clashes, these points are dismissed as 'minimal' without providing specific examples or deeper analysis to support this claim. To reach a higher band, you should expand on how countries mitigate these issues or provide a more nuanced discussion of why the economic gains are considered more significant. The conclusion clearly restates your position, but the overall argument lacks the depth required for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'On the side of agreeing' and 'However', to transition between ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some sentences feel disjointed. For instance, the transition between the economic benefits and the mention of environmental damage within the same paragraph is abrupt. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of linking words to connect your arguments more fluidly throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'tertiary sector', 'GDP', and 'diversity'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'cause arm' (likely meant 'harm') and 'payed' (should be 'paid'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on fairly common words. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure correct spelling and word formation throughout your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'a economies' (article error), 'desputes' (spelling), and 'it cant' be said' (punctuation/contraction). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'the following statement that tourism does contribute... has both sides to it'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and consistent use of formal, non-contracted language.

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