Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-27

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)

In this contemporary world, tourism has become an important part of many economies. It provides income and employment, but it can also affect local cultures and the environment. I strongly agree that the negative effects of tourism are often ignored.

One main reason why I agree with this view is that tourism can have a negative impact on local cultures. When a large number of visitors come to a particular area, traditional customs and lifestyles may gradually change. Local people may also change their traditional products, food and festivals to attract tourists. As a result, some cultural practices may lose their original meaning. For example, in some popular tourist areas, traditional events are mainly organised for visitors rather than local communities.

Another important reason is that tourism can damage the natural environment. A large number of tourists can produce more waste, increase traffic and put pressure on natural resources. Popular beaches, forests and historical sites may also become polluted or damaged because of excessive visitors. For instance, tourist destinations can experience plastic waste and water pollution during busy seasons. Therefore, the environmental effects of tourism should receive greater attention.

In conclusion, although tourism provides economic benefits and creates employment opportunities, I strongly agree that its effects on local cultures and the environment are sometimes overlooked. Greater care should be taken to protect both cultural traditions and natural areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student presents a clear and well-developed position throughout the essay, agreeing that the negative impacts of tourism on culture and the environment are often ignored. Main ideas are supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as how traditional events are modified for visitors and how popular destinations suffer from plastic waste. However, as noted in the length check, the response contains only 228 words, falling short of the mandatory 250-word minimum. This under-length impacts the full development of the task and necessitates a penalty under Task Achievement. Because of this limitation, the response cannot achieve a band 7, but it clearly satisfies the main requirements of addressing all parts of the prompt with relevant ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organization. It follows a traditional four-paragraph structure with a distinct introduction, two body paragraphs focusing on separate issues (culture and environment), and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used appropriately to guide the reader, such as 'One main reason why I agree', 'As a result', and 'Another important reason'. Paragraphing is logical and effective. Referencing and substitution are handled well throughout the text. Although the overall structure is sound and coherent, the limited length prevents it from reaching the higher bands where more complex cohesive transitions and extended discourse features are expected.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'contemporary world', 'traditional customs', 'natural resources', and 'economic benefits'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some phrasing tends to be slightly repetitive, such as 'A large number of tourists' and 'traditional products, food and festivals'. Word choices are generally appropriate and communication is never impeded by lexical errors. Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout the response. To reach a higher band, the writer would need to demonstrate a wider and more flexible range of sophisticated, less common lexical items with precise collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using clauses effectively to express ideas (e.g., 'When a large number of visitors come to a particular area, traditional customs and lifestyles may gradually change'). Grammatical accuracy is quite high, and the majority of sentences are free of errors. Punctuation is used correctly throughout the text, and there are no intrusive structural errors that interfere with the reader's understanding. While complex structures are attempted and often accurate, a wider variety of advanced syntactic forms would be required for a higher band score.

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