Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-06

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 6.0)

Tourism is one of the rapidly growing companies and plays a significant role in the economies of many countries. However, its negative impacts on local cultures and the environment are often overlooked. I completely agree with the statement and this essay will discuss both aspects respectively.

On the positive side, tourism can make a significant contribution to national economies by creating employment and increasing consumer spending. Hotel, restaurants, travel agencies and transport services grow because of the large number of visitors. It can increase job chances for the local community in various sectors and their income increases which directly benefits the economy. Currency exchange is another factor as tourists spend in shopping and leaves their foreign currency. However, local businesses also grow due to the availability of visitors because they spend a lot of money on hotels, shops and taxi services which in turn increases tax revenue. For example, in countries such as Thailand, millions of international tourists spend money on hotels, restaurants, transportation and local products, providing income to businesses.

On the other hand, tourism can also damage environment due to the excess amount of visitors may have a chance of pollution. Large number of tourists can increase the risk of pollution and waste by throwing wrappers every where. Making attractions like hotels, parks and roads also affect forests and causes deforestation. Air pollution and carbon emissions may also surge due to large number of flights. Wildlife and habitats of various animals also affected by overcrowding at famous places. For instance, visitors leave plastic bottles and other wastes in popular beaches and mountain areas which causes environmental damage.

In conclusion, large number of visitors increases the revenue and economies of the country which is a fact. However, their presence can also damages popular places and the environment, and these consequences should not be ignored.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, clearly stating your agreement and discussing both the economic benefits and the environmental/cultural drawbacks. Your position is consistent throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as the mention of Thailand and the impact of waste on beaches. To reach a higher band, ensure that the 'cultural' aspect of the prompt is addressed more explicitly, as your essay focuses almost exclusively on the environment and economy, leaving the 'local culture' component under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic. You use some cohesive devices like 'On the positive side', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the transition between discussing job creation and currency exchange in the first body paragraph is slightly abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'national economies', 'consumer spending', 'carbon emissions', and 'deforestation'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as referring to tourism as a 'company' rather than an 'industry', and the phrase 'job chances' which is less natural than 'employment opportunities'. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'excess amount of visitors may have a chance of pollution' (awkward phrasing), 'throwing wrappers every where' (spelling/collocation), and 'their presence can also damages' (subject-verb agreement error). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more precise sentence construction will improve your accuracy.

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

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