Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-02

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)

There is an ongoing debate about whether the growing of the eco-tourism industry is a good alternative for protect the environment. There are some advantages of people choosing eco-tourism, but I also believe that the economic growth of this industry can be somehow detrimental for the environment protection.

Some people argue that choosing to be eco-friendly when doing tourism is essential to be sustainable. This is mainly because the concern about the environment is increasing rapidly, and people are trying to be consious about their decisions. As a result, eco-tourism is expanding at a fast pace. The advantage of this is that it allow the toursim industry to become more eco-friendly to attract more tourist. In Queenstown, for example, there is a sustainability program called qual-mark, where tourism places receive a reward for being eco-friendly. This encourage companies to recycle, as well as reduce the waste produced.

While I believe that is an overall positive trend, there are some disadvantages. For example, some places where the eco-tourism have been expanding are still becoming more and more polluted. In Bombinhas, Brazil, even though the city is well-known for protecting their environment, the number of tourists increased so rapidly that the waste produced was more than the size of the city could bear. As a result, the ocean became polluted and air pollution also increased due the high number of cars during the summer. To solve this problem, the government had to introduce a tourist tax during the high seasons.

To conclude, I believe that the eco-tourism industry is overall good for the environment because it contribute to the turism sector to be more sustainable in their business. However, the development of the eco-tourism industry can be detrimental due the high number of tourist and it need to be look closely by the government.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, presenting a clear position that eco-tourism is a positive trend while acknowledging its potential drawbacks. The ideas are relevant and supported by specific examples, such as the 'Qualmark' program in Queenstown and the environmental challenges in Bombinhas, Brazil. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the development of the arguments could be more nuanced; for instance, explaining how the government tax in Brazil specifically mitigates the environmental impact would strengthen the analysis. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a logical flow of ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the advantages and disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'This is mainly because', 'As a result', and 'While I believe' are used to link ideas. However, there are some instances where the flow could be smoother, and some cohesive links are slightly repetitive. The progression of ideas is clear, and the reader can easily follow the writer's argument from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'sustainability', 'eco-friendly', and 'detrimental'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'growing of the eco-tourism industry' (growth of) and 'tourism places' (tourist destinations). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. The use of 'somehow detrimental' is slightly imprecise in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and prepositions, such as 'it allow the toursim industry' (it allows), 'it contribute to the turism sector' (it contributes), and 'due the high number' (due to the). Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'consious' and 'turism'. While these errors are frequent, they do not impede communication. To improve, the student should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and verb forms.

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

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