Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-03

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 recent years, there has been growing public debate surrounding the topic of ignoring the damage caused by tourism while benefiting from it. While it is true that this topic presents both benefit and drawbacks, I believe that all governments and residents should focus on minimising these negative impacts. However, I strongly agree that the damage tourism can cause to cultures and the environment is often ignored.

On the one hand, opponents may highlight certain advantages of toursim. They often argue that it enhances the proportion of the foreign exchange of the country. Additionally, they emphasise the importance of people becoming familiar with different cultures, traditions and lifestyles. Mainly, it significantly improves individuals' communication skills.

On the other hand, there are several strong arguments in favour of my viewpoint. One of the most significant reasons is that becoming familiar with other cultures may reduce the interest in their own cultural things. As a result, individuals have adopted modern lifestyles. Primarily, this may contribute to fading the traditional heritage of the country. Moreover, another notable disadvantage is that tourism increases the environmental pollution. For example, improper disposal of waste. Furthermore, it enhances traffic congestion. As a result, this may lead to more carbon emissions. In addition, a recent report indicates the validity of the statement supported by logical evidence, as many countries have started to pay attention to minimise these issues.

In conclusion, although there are convincing arguments on both sides of this matter, considering its highly negative impacts on both environment and culture, it is essential to focus on declining these disadvantages while addressing any potential concerns.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout, acknowledging both sides of the issue before strongly agreeing with the prompt's premise. However, while the ideas are relevant, some are more fully developed than others. For instance, the paragraph discussing the advantages of tourism touches on foreign exchange and cultural communication, but these points remain somewhat general and lack detailed extension. Similarly, the environmental arguments mention waste disposal and traffic congestion, yet these concepts are not fully explored with robust specific examples beyond a brief mention. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to extend and support all main ideas more thoroughly rather than relying on brief generalisations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and the information and ideas are logically sequenced. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, counter-argument, main supporting arguments, and conclusion. However, cohesion at times feels a bit mechanical or faulty. Transitional phrases like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' are utilized, but some referencing and logical links between sentences are occasionally clunky, such as the abrupt sentence fragments used for examples like 'For example, improper disposal of waste.' To achieve a higher score, the writer should ensure smoother transitions between sentences and more flexible use of cohesive devices without relying on repetitive formulas.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'foreign exchange', 'traffic congestion', and 'carbon emissions'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and expression. For example, phrases like 'enhances the proportion of the foreign exchange' and 'reduce the interest in their own cultural things' sound unnatural or lack precision. Additionally, expressions like 'fading the traditional heritage' and 'focus on declining these disadvantages' misuse specific lexical items. These errors do not impede communication, but to reach the next band, the writer must demonstrate greater precision and natural collocation when attempting more sophisticated vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable attempt at complex structures such as subordinate clauses ('While it is true that...', 'One of the most significant reasons is that...'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, but they rarely impede communication. Examples of minor slips include 'toursim' (spelling, though handled under lexical, structural patterns like 'focus on minimising these negative impacts' are generally sound), and occasional awkward phrasing in sentence construction. Punctuation errors also appear, such as sentence fragments ('For example, improper disposal of waste.'). To improve, the writer should produce a higher frequency of error-free complex sentences and maintain tighter control over punctuation and grammatical agreements.

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