Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-05

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)

Tourism is proved to be one of the rapidly increased businesses and also proved to be the greatest benefit to the economy of the world. Nevertheless, it is also harmful for the local culture and it caused the environmental pollution. Tourism is crucial for the economical growth of the state. I strongly believe that tourism play a vital role in our lives. In this essay, I will discuss on both topics and gave my opinion.

Initially, Tourism has the power to change the financial condition of the country and it also promotes the local culture of the country. We know that this is the age of internet. Tourists post online about there tour which attracts majority of travellers which reduces the inflation. For instance, In the northern ares of Pakistan the bread and butter of majority of people is supported by the tourists. Tourism also promotes the traditions like cooking, clothes and cultural dances of the northern areas.

While, there are many benefits of tourism but it also has its drawbacks. Tourists may also cause harm to the historical places of the country that has significant historical value. For instance, Faisal mosque walls was harmed by visitors. It has also seen that tourism is the reason in the increase of land pollution. Tourists throw garbage on the visiting sites that destroy there beauty.

I firmly believe that, without the tourism the economy of the country cannot grow properly. Tourism is very crucial and has several benefits as well as drawbacks. Government should make some new policies to prevent and control the damage it caused to the local cultures and the environment.

To conclude, The economy of the country cannot grow without tourism because it came along with majority of benefits but visible disadvantages. The authorities should implement some rules and regulations for everyone to follow in order to maintain peace. By this we can witness the greatest aspects of tourism.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by acknowledging both the economic benefits and the negative impacts of tourism. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention the economic benefits and environmental damage, the arguments lack depth and specific analysis. For example, the mention of 'Faisal mosque' is a good start, but the explanation of how tourism impacts culture is quite generic. To reach a higher band, ensure that your position is consistent throughout the essay; you state you will discuss 'both topics' (implying a balanced view), but the prompt asks for the extent of your agreement, which requires a more focused stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Initially', 'While', and 'To conclude' to signal transitions. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as starting a sentence with 'While, there are many benefits...' which is grammatically awkward. Additionally, the flow between sentences could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect ideas more naturally rather than relying on simple transitions.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You use some repetitive phrasing, such as 'economy of the country' and 'local culture'. There are also some collocation errors, such as 'rapidly increased businesses' (should be 'fastest-growing industries') and 'the reason in the increase' (should be 'the cause of the increase'). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to tourism and environmental sustainability, and focus on using words in their correct collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('tourism play a vital role'), article usage ('the economy of the world'), and pluralisation ('there tour' instead of 'their tour'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that pronouns and articles are used correctly.

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

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