Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-07-27
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In some societies, stress is now regarded as a major problem, and it is thought that people suffer from more stress than they did in the past. However, others feel that the amount of stress people have today is exaggerated. They say that previous generations were under more pressure, but the idea of suffering from stress did not exist.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
Student answer (Band 7.0)
The debate about whether to travel overseas or within the country to spend a vacation is contentious. While international travel has substantial benefits such as exposure to diverse cultures and the opportunity to have unique experiences, there are some drawbacks like high travel costs and increased environmental pollution which cannot be overlooked.
To commence with, the significant challenges associated with travelling abroad are financial and environmental. To expound, tourists spend a fortune to travel internationally in order to visit various attractions. This is because the cost of air tickets, hotel accommodations and travel insurance has skyrocketed in the recent times of inflation. In addition, the air travel itself significantly contributes to pollution due to excessive fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Since some tourists travel to remote regions, they can also disrupt the delicate ecosystems of those areas by unnecessary human intervention.
Despite the disadvantages, there are numerous advantages such as exposure to diverse cultures and exquisite experiences, which are far more considerable. To elaborate, travelling overseas exposes individuals to unknown cultural backgrounds, which enrich their knowledge. Not only it contributes to personal development but also increases global awareness. Furthermore, the unique experiences gained by travelling abroad makes it a favourable trend. Since the natural attractions and landmarks can only be experienced by visiting that place, international travel to such places is totally worthwhile. To exemplify, in order to experience the Niagara Falls, one has to come to Canada as its magnificence cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world.
In conclusion, although high expenditure and environmental pollution are the undeniable demerits of travelling overseas to spend holidays, I believe that the merits it offers in terms of personal development and memorable experiences clearly outweigh the demerits.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for a discussion on the nature of stress in modern society versus the past, yet the essay discusses the advantages and disadvantages of international travel. Because the student failed to address the task prompt entirely, the response cannot be assessed for task achievement regarding the actual topic. In an official IELTS examination, this would be treated as a memorized or irrelevant response, leading to a very low score for Task Achievement. To improve, it is essential to read the prompt carefully and ensure that the content directly answers the specific question asked.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
Despite the content being irrelevant to the prompt, the essay itself is structured logically. It uses clear paragraphing, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'In addition', 'Despite the disadvantages', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The progression of ideas within the paragraphs is logical, and referencing is clear. If the content had been relevant to the prompt, this would have been a strong performance in terms of organization and flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
The vocabulary used is quite sophisticated and demonstrates a good range. Phrases such as 'contentious', 'exposure to diverse cultures', 'delicate ecosystems', 'exquisite experiences', and 'undeniable demerits' show an ability to use less common lexical items with precision. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede communication. The student demonstrates a level of lexical control that is well above average, showing an ability to express complex ideas fluently, even though those ideas are not relevant to the assigned task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures. There is a mix of subordinate clauses and compound sentences, such as 'While international travel has substantial benefits... there are some drawbacks...' and 'Since some tourists travel to remote regions, they can also disrupt...'. Grammar is generally accurate, with only minor slips, such as 'Not only it contributes to...' which should be 'Not only does it contribute to...'. Overall, the grammatical control is strong, with the majority of sentences being error-free and punctuation used correctly throughout the text.
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