Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-20
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
The ease of international travel and the spread of various kinds of mass media all over the world have made it more possible than ever for people to know how other people live in other countries.
Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Out bound tourism has become a global trend with the effect of the social media. When comparing to the past, now people are updated about other countries and their lifestyles. It helps people to have greater insight about the world. In comparison I believe that benefits of this aspect outweigh the drawbacks.
Nowadays, people tend to post their daily life and travelling vlogs in social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and You tube. These users are having more followers who wish to enjoy the travel with them. After watching the vlogs people will motivate to visit other countries and experience the culture. This will open the door for everyone who love to visit other countries to plan the journey according to their preferences. Vlogs can provide more information about the places and help them to plan in advanced. Viewers can gain knowledge about the country rules, lifestyles traditions and culture. This aspect will help travelers to make their journey more convenient.
On the other hand, there will be some disadvantages like places will get crowded and some people's personal life and lifestyles will be visible to everyone. When places get popular through the social media platforms many visitors will arrive and it will not be peaceful like how it was. and also, some villagers will not be fine to share their lifestyle with other people, but the vlogger's will share the personal things in the social media expose the lifestyles to the society.
in conclusion, even though there are some drawbacks here, I believe that out bound tourism expanding will give more opportunities to the society.
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 both the advantages and disadvantages of international travel and media exposure. You clearly state your position in the introduction that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that vlogs help with planning, the explanation of the disadvantages regarding privacy and overcrowding is quite brief and could be better supported with more specific examples or deeper analysis. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with clear reasoning and evidence rather than just listing observations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In comparison', 'Nowadays', and 'On the other hand' to transition between ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly repetitive. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where 'this aspect' could be more precisely defined. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your ideas, such as 'global trend', 'convenient', and 'exposed'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'out bound tourism' (outbound tourism) and 'vlogger's will share' (plural vs. possessive error). You also rely on some basic vocabulary like 'good' or 'fine' in contexts where more precise academic language would be appropriate. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'When comparing to the past' (should be 'Compared to the past'), 'people will motivate to visit' (should be 'people are motivated to visit'), and missing articles or incorrect pluralization (e.g., 'the social media'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and sentence fragments. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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