Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-07-29

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 7.5)

Tourism has been growing rapidly and contributing to economic growth worldwide. Some argue that the negative impact of this development on local cultures and the environment is often ignored. I largely agree as we are already facing some consequences.

First and foremost, it must be admitted that both economies and individuals benefit a lot from the development of tourism as it enables people to broaden their horizons and accelerates the circulation of a variety of capital. Nevertheless, we still need to remember that promoting economic growth is always at odds with maintaining a sustainable environment. For instance, it is a common behavior that holidaymakers tend to litter indiscriminately. If governments do not implement strict regulations, the effect of littering will be pushed to an extreme, forcing local people to leave their own places.

Furthermore, cultural homogenization brought by the interaction between local people and tourists is a pressing issue. For example, while people from the US visit some Asian countries, it is inevitable for them to bring dominant Western culture, which may lead to the dilution of traditional customs and even indigenous languages. As a result, the world we are living in will become less diverse over time.

However, as we can see that some governments have already carried out related policies to alleviate those influences. To illustrate this, China has been promoting the concept of sustainability and eco-tourism, encouraging the general public to travel by public transportation compared to traveling by plane that can cause an enormous amount of greenhouse gases. Although such solutions cannot address all the issues caused by tourism in a short period, we should not overlook each effort made by either governments or individuals.

In conclusion, while I agree with the viewpoint that problems caused by tourism, such as pollution and dilution of local cultures are severe and have not received enough attention, we still need to acknowledge the effort made by elected officials.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have clearly addressed the prompt by taking a position and supporting it with relevant arguments regarding environmental degradation and cultural dilution. Your ideas are extended with specific examples, such as the impact of littering and the influence of Western culture on Asian customs. The inclusion of a counter-argument regarding government initiatives adds depth to your response, demonstrating a balanced perspective. To reach a higher band, ensure that your conclusion more explicitly synthesises the main points rather than just restating the existence of the problem. Overall, the response is well-focused and directly answers the 'to what extent' component of the question.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Nevertheless', and 'Furthermore' effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct arguments. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. For instance, the link between the third and fourth paragraphs could be strengthened to better contrast the negative impacts with the mitigation efforts. Overall, the structure is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'cultural homogenization', 'dilution of traditional customs', and 'indigenous languages' are used accurately and appropriately. You also attempt less common collocations, which enhances the academic tone of the essay. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication. To improve further, try to incorporate more idiomatic or nuanced academic expressions to demonstrate a wider, more flexible range of vocabulary, as some of your phrasing remains relatively standard.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Your control over grammar is generally strong, with many error-free sentences throughout the text. For example, the use of conditional structures and relative clauses is accurate. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'as we can see that some governments', which is slightly redundant, but these do not impede meaning. Your punctuation is generally correct, and the overall grammatical control is consistent. To achieve a higher score, aim for a greater variety of complex structures, such as inversion or more advanced passive constructions.

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