Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-13
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 5.5)
Nowadays, people consider travelling in environmentally-friends ways more than ever before. Some people think that it is good for climate sustainability, while others argue that it has increased the demand of eco-tourism industry. I strongly believe that it is a positive development as it reduces environmental pollution and promote sustainability.
On one hand, advocates of climate change appreciate eco-tourism because it helps to control climate change. Tourists are considering the ways that require less fuel consumption such as, use of bicycle instead of cars. It decreases air pollution as fuel consumption results in emission of gases, contributing to air pollution. In addition, they choose activities like hiking rather than boating to conserve energy sources. In this way, tourists are trying to save resources for future generations, as many natural fuel resources are non-renewable like, coal, methane gas, and petroleum.
On the other hand, opponents argue that this concept is promoting eco-tourism industry, which is a negative development. It is making tourism expensive and less approachable. For example, trips arranged by these industries costs 2-3 times more than the usual trip. In this way, people will be discouraged and concept of tourism will get affected in a negative way.
In my opinion, eco-tourism is a positive trend, although it costs more than a usual trip, it is benefits the society in long-terms. It not only reduce pollution but saves resources for future generations.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing the positive and negative aspects of eco-tourism. However, the essay is under the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the position is clear, the arguments are somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about eco-tourism being 'less approachable' is mentioned but not fully explored or supported with sufficient depth. To reach a higher band, you need to expand your arguments with more detailed examples and ensure you meet the minimum length requirement to allow for a more comprehensive discussion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'In addition', and 'In my opinion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical, and the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure would benefit from more sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within paragraphs more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'climate sustainability', 'non-renewable', and 'emission of gases'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'environmentally-friends ways' (should be 'environmentally-friendly') and 'concept of tourism will get affected' (should be 'impacted'). To improve, try to incorporate a wider range of less common lexical items and ensure they are used in the correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'it is benefits the society' (should be 'it benefits') and 'trips... costs' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is mostly correct, but there are minor slips throughout. To achieve a higher band, focus on increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences and proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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