Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-28

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)

Due to the rapid emergence of technology and heavy usage of social media, we are being able to have access over different parts of the world which allows us to learn about foreign culture, tradition and norms before even paying a visit to the very country. It is crucial to have certain familiarity as there are law enforcement and actions which are taken if any rules or regulations are being violated. We should always keep in mind to be respectful of their culture while traveling.

International travel is quite fascinating. Before going to the different country, it is important to have a basic understanding about their medium of communication, the routes of certain places, the fare of transportation etc. Mass media provides us the pathway to know about it all as there has been tourists who previously visited those places and shared their experience so that it becomes easier for us to understand and prepare a travel itinerary which also gives us an edge to cut cost expenditure. Tourists can save up their time and be capable of covering all the beautiful spots within their prepared timeline.

The mass media and international travel vlogs allows people to see the world even behind a screen and it is a blessing for people who doesn't have the luxury to travel the world or the physical capability. Watching the vlogs and videos becomes an entertainment source which also allows the travellers to make a living out of it and the audience to gain some insight.

There are a few setbacks as well. Mass media sometimes overexaggerates the reality. A place cannot be that beautiful but vloggers can misrepresent it for more publicity. Often times, international travellers face difficulties in understanding their language and sometimes even gets harassed by the locals. This gives a wrong impression about the culture of the country and created misunderstandings which gets caught up in the camera and sometimes, travelers spread rumors too. I have once had a similar experienece while travelling to Thailand. Even though they have a beautiful city and scenic view, I was startled by the behavior of one of the shopkeepers who was selling shoes. It was a minor inconvenience, however, it stayed with me throughout the trip. I could have broadcasted it in the social media but I prevented from doing so as there were other beautiful experiences that I had in Thailand.

This taught me a lesson that life is a mixture of good and bad experiences. There will always be pros and cons of everything, my take on the matter is, if a person gets to learn and enjoy about different countries, their lifestyle and have less access to do that in person, then definitey the advantages of this development outweighs the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both sides of the question and state a clear overall view: the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, particularly for people who cannot travel. Relevant advantages include learning about local customs before a visit, planning routes and costs, and experiencing other countries through videos. The Thailand anecdote also gives a concrete example of how one negative encounter can shape impressions. This meets the task well, but some points are not fully developed: the discussion of harassment and rumours is brief, and the essay could explain more directly how these disadvantages compare in importance with the benefits. To strengthen the response, develop each main claim with a clearer explanation or example and keep the comparison central throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall structure: it introduces the topic, presents several advantages, considers drawbacks, and concludes with a definite position. Paragraphs generally have clear purposes, and transitions such as “There are a few setbacks as well” help signal the shift in argument. The progression is understandable, though some links between ideas are loose. For example, the paragraph about travel preparation moves from communication and transport to cost savings without clearly showing how each point supports the main argument. The conclusion’s “life is a mixture of good and bad experiences” is also broad rather than a focused synthesis. Use more precise links between claims and explanations, and make the final paragraph directly weigh the benefits against the risks.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “foreign culture,” “travel itinerary,” “misrepresent,” “misunderstandings,” and “scenic view.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “access over different parts of the world,” “cut cost expenditure,” and “learn and enjoy about different countries.” There are also spelling and form errors, including “experienece” and “definitey.” These do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Focus on common collocations and check spelling and word forms during revision; for instance, use “access to information,” “reduce travel costs,” and “learn about and enjoy.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses such as “Even though they have a beautiful city and scenic view…” and relative clauses such as “people who doesn’t have the luxury…”. Most meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “people who doesn’t” instead of “people who don’t,” “there has been tourists” instead of “there have been tourists,” and “sometimes even gets harassed” where the plural subject requires “get.” There are also awkward article and preposition patterns, as in “going to the different country” and “understanding about their medium of communication.” Review subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb patterns, then proofread complex sentences to ensure each clause is grammatically complete.

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