Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-22

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 6.0)

In recent years, environmental awareness has increased signifantly, and more people are choosing eco-friendly ways of travelling. As a result, eco-tourism has become increasingly popular. I believe this is a largely positive trend because it can protect the environment and provide economic benefits to local communities.

One major advantage of eco- tourism is that it helps to reduce the negatiove effect of traditional tourism. Large numbers of tourists can produce considerable amounts of waste, damage netural habitats. Eco- tourists on the oyher hand, are usually encouraged to respect nature, avoid littering and use environmentally friendly services. For example, visitors to national parks may allow designated routes and avoid activities that could harm animals or plants. In addition, some of the money generated eco torism can be usede to protect forests, wildlife and other natural resources.

Another benefit is the eco- tourism can improve the lives of people living in tourist destinations. Local residents can earn money by working as tour guides, providing accomodation or selling locally produced food and handicrafts. This can create employment opportunities and reduce their dependence on activities that may damage the environment. Therefore, local communities may have a stronger reason to preserve their natural surroundings.

However, eco-tourism can also have disadvantages if it is not properly managed.An excessive number of visitors can still cause pollution and put some pressure on local resources.

To conclude, I believe the expansion of eco- torism is a positive development overall. It can protect nature and support local communities as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, exploring both the environmental benefits and potential drawbacks of eco-tourism before presenting a clear overall position in the conclusion. The student successfully establishes that it is a largely positive trend while acknowledging management challenges in the fourth paragraph. Ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as mentioning how visitors to national parks follow designated routes to protect ecosystems and how local residents benefit economically. Although some points could be slightly more fully extended to reach a higher band, the main arguments are well-selected and clearly focused on the question. The response meets the criteria for Band 6.5, which rounds up to a Band 7.0 for fully addressing the prompt with a clear position and well-supported ideas throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organization. Information and ideas are arranged coherently across five paragraphs, with a clear introduction, supporting body paragraphs addressing benefits and drawbacks, and a distinct conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'In addition,' 'Another benefit is,' and 'However,' to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each new paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the topic. However, there are minor cohesion and referencing flaws, such as missing prepositions or minor typos in linking ideas, and some repetitive phrasing like 'eco-tourism' and 'eco- torism'. Overall, the logical sequence and paragraphing align well with the Band 7 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'environmental awareness,' 'eco-friendly,' 'natural habitats,' and 'employment opportunities.' There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is occasionally hindered by spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'signifantly' (significantly), 'negatiove' (negative), 'netural' (natural), 'torism' (tourism), 'accomodation' (accommodation), and 'usede' (used). Despite these inaccuracies, communication is never impeded, and the range of vocabulary is sufficient to allow some precision and flexibility. These characteristics fit comfortably within the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to use relative clauses and conditional structures, such as 'which can create employment opportunities' and 'if it is not properly managed.' There are several grammatical errors and typos present throughout the text, including article omissions, spelling slips ('signifantly', 'netural', 'usede'), and slight prepositions issues (e.g., 'generated eco torism' instead of 'generated by eco-tourism'). However, these errors are non-systematic and rarely impede communication. The majority of simple sentences are accurate, and the attempts at complex structures show an adequate level of control, earning a solid Band 6 score.

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

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