Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-02

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 6.5)

Nowadays, because of numerous types of mass media present across the globe and the easy accessibility of international travel, it has become easier for people to understand how people live in other countries. In my opinion, this development certainly outweighs its disadvantages because this progress has a significant influence on one's perspective about foreign countries.

This development has various advantages, such as increased cultural values and awareness. Because of the easy access to international travel it has become easier to travel all around the world. By travelling more, people can learn about different cultures, their eating habits, living patterns, etc. Additionally, with the use of different kinds of mass media such as newspapers, television, etc one can learn about different locations across the globe at any time and place and at their own pace. This helps in bridging the gap between cultural differences among the people and also creates awareness and respect towards other people living in other regions of the country.

However, this development has disadvantages such as higher travel expenses and some fake data shown in the various forms of mass media. Foreign travel is generally costly and can not be affordable to middle-class or lower middle-class people. Sometimes, fake information about a location can be provided by newspapers or television because of limited knowledge. This can lead to a misconception about a place or people residing on the other side of the nation.

To sum up, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages of the development of transportation and mass media. Although its disadvantages should also be considered, having increased cultural knowledge and awareness has a significant impact on uniting people all over the world and contributes to the saying of "The world is one family".

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout, stating that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Main ideas are relevant, such as increased cultural awareness through travel and media, as well as the counter-points concerning travel expenses and potential misinformation. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others; for example, the disadvantage section regarding fake data is somewhat superficial and under-developed, lacking a specific example to support how media misleads people. To move to a higher band, all ideas need to be equally extended with deeper analysis, specific supporting evidence, and a more fully realised line of argument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are coherently linked, with a distinct introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides of the argument, and a concise concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'However', and 'To sum up' are employed effectively to guide the reader through the text, although referencing is occasionally slightly mechanical. To achieve an even higher level, the writer could make cohesive transitions more natural and seamless, avoiding formulaic signposting words while maintaining the clear overarching structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, successfully communicating the writer's ideas. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'accessibility', 'misconception', and 'bridging the gap', demonstrating a reasonable range. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'increased cultural values' instead of 'cultural appreciation', and referring to fake data as 'fake data shown' rather than 'misinformation' or 'fabricated reports'. Spelling is accurate throughout, but to reach the next band, the vocabulary needs to show greater precision and a more sophisticated control of less common lexical items and stylistic collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with the writer successfully employing subordinate clauses ('Because of the easy access...', 'Although its disadvantages should also be considered...'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('can not be affordable to middle-class' missing 'accessible to the middle-class') and minor punctuation slips, but these errors are infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the arguments easily. To attain a higher band, the writer needs to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with frequent error-free sentences and demonstrate tighter control over grammatical patterns and prepositions.

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