Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Concern for the environment is growing rapidly and more and more people are choosing to be 'eco-tourists' - travelling in responsible, environmentally-friendly ways. As a result, the eco-tourism industry is expanding.

To what extent do you think this is a positive trend?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

As our environment grows more vulnerable over time- only the result of our own actions- finally the public has begun to take accountability, namely but pursuing eco-friendly means of travel. This essay will discuss why this should be seen as a positive trend, especially given the threat our environment has been facing due to the harmful gases released by vehicles, and the rapid rise of tourism itself.

Our environment has seen great damage since the development of cars and other adjacent vehicles such as buses. The machinery within these vehicles is designed to burn through a great amount of fuel, releasing a number of harmful toxins into the air, most of which have a greatly threatening effect on our Earth. Hence, through eco-tourism, the usage of such vehicles will be limited as it will often include public transportation, reducing the overall percentage of carbon emissions as a greater number of people is transported in one bus or train. In fact, a recent study published in China in 2021 alludes to the great sustainable developments that can be made if public transportation was used more frequently.

Over and above that, tourism itself has amassed great popularity over the past couple years, as people indulge in the beauty of travelling and seeing the world from different views. Therefore, there has been a net increase in flights and the usage of cars has seen a steep rise over the past couple years due to the growing fame of travelling by road. Hence, carbon emissions have risen by 10% over the past decade, and environmentally-friendly travel can help cause a recession in these numbers for similar reasons mentioned above. Everyone is free to travel wherever they want whenever they want, they just have to remain vigilant of the safety of our Earth by opting for sustainable methods.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that the expansion of the eco-tourism industry will have a greatly beneficial effect on the environment. This is because it takes into consideration the deteriorating state of our Earth and takes precautionary measures to make sure that travel is the most sustainable it can be.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt well, maintaining a clear position throughout that the trend is positive. The ideas are relevant and supported by logical reasoning regarding carbon emissions and the environmental impact of traditional tourism. However, the development is slightly uneven; while the argument about public transport is solid, the second body paragraph relies on generalisations about the 'steep rise' of road travel without providing specific, nuanced examples of eco-tourism practices beyond just 'public transport'. To reach a higher band, you could explore specific eco-tourism initiatives (e.g., community-based conservation or carbon-offset programs) to provide more depth to your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two main arguments. Cohesive devices such as 'Over and above that', 'Hence', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the text. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the first paragraph ('namely but pursuing') is awkward and slightly confusing. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that cohesive devices are used more naturally would enhance the overall coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision, using terms like 'vulnerable', 'accountability', 'deteriorating', and 'sustainable'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'cause a recession in these numbers' (a recession usually refers to economic decline, not a reduction in statistics) and 'adjacent vehicles'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise usage of academic collocations. Expanding your vocabulary to include more topic-specific terminology related to environmental science would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show control over complex sentences, such as 'This is because it takes into consideration the deteriorating state of our Earth and takes precautionary measures to make sure that travel is the most sustainable it can be.' However, there are several punctuation and grammatical slips, such as the misuse of hyphens in the first sentence and the awkward phrasing 'namely but pursuing'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your argument. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring consistent punctuation would improve your accuracy.

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

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