Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-31
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)
I strongly agree with this statement that tourism can be beneficial for the economy, but it does have various cultural and environmental consequences that are often overlooked.
Tourism can help with country's economy and can also play a significant role in portraying country's image in positive light. One of the biggest damage that tourism in access can do is pollution.It can damage the beauty of beaches,mountains etc.And it can aslo cause overcrowding.The local people can face problems renting a house or an apartment if there are so many tourists.
Moreover, it can have negative impact on the local culture and traditions as well as they are often modified in order to attract or entertain tourists from different backgrounds.Therefore, it is crucial to preserve ones culture and not ignore it in order to promote tourism.Eventhough it is highly encouraged to promote tourism in order for local businesses and economy to flourish so that the local people can have benefits from it as well.
It is often seen that some tourist showcase a bad image of the country and set a false narrative which can also affect the country's reputation.Which can hurt sentiments of local people.
To conclude, Tourism should be encouraged for the betterment of the country but there should be sustainable tourism.So there is no damage to the environment or infrastrcuture
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by acknowledging both the economic benefits and the negative impacts of tourism. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the position is clear, the ideas are underdeveloped; for instance, the point about 'tourism in access' (excess) causing pollution is mentioned but not supported with specific examples or detailed reasoning. To reach a higher band, you must expand on your points with concrete illustrations and ensure you meet the minimum word count to allow for full development of your ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions like 'Moreover' and 'Therefore' are used, but the flow between sentences is occasionally choppy. Additionally, the paragraphing is inconsistent, with some very short paragraphs that disrupt the overall structure. Improving the use of referencing and varied linking words would help the essay flow more naturally and improve the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are some noticeable errors in word choice, such as 'tourism in access' instead of 'excessive tourism' and 'showcase a bad image' instead of 'portray a negative image'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic terms. To improve, you should focus on using more precise collocations and academic vocabulary related to the topic of tourism and socio-economic impacts.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('help with country's economy'), punctuation issues (missing spaces after periods), and awkward phrasing ('Which can hurt sentiments of local people'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of your writing. You should focus on proofreading for basic errors and practicing the correct use of articles and sentence boundaries.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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