Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-31

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 6.0)

In today's world, people like to travel to different countries and stay active in social media. The ease of international travel and the spread of various kinds of mass media across the world have made it more possible than ever for people to know how other people live in other countries. In my opinion, there are some disadvantages that can be overshadowed by the advantages as people will be able to know about the lifestyle, culture and tradition.

Several advantages can be noted having the ease of internaional travel and different types of mass media all over the globe. One major advantage is that people can understand other cultures more clearly. Through travelling, television, social media and the internet, individuals can learn about their traditions, food, festivals and daily lifestyles of people in different countries. This can make them more open-minded and reduce misunderstanding between poeple from different cultural backgrounds. For example, someone who watches movies or visits another country may understand their religions better. Therefore, this can develop greater respect towards them and raise awareness among different societies.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages. Too much interest in foreign lifestyles and western culture expecially in young generations may cause them to lose interest in their own traditions and cultural values. Some individuals may start to copy their clothing style, food or celebrations just for show-off. Furthermore, mass media does not always interpret the accurate information which can lead to unrealistic expectations. However, these problems can be reduced if people value and respect their own culture while learning from others.

In conclusion, although increased exposure to foreign lifestyles may affect their own local cultures and create unrealistic expectations, I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both sides of the question and state a clear view: the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Your main benefit—greater cultural understanding and reduced misunderstanding—is relevant, and the example of learning through films or travel helps illustrate it. You also identify cultural loss and unrealistic expectations as drawbacks, then explain that valuing one’s own culture can reduce these risks. However, the advantages receive more explanation than the disadvantages, and some claims remain broad: the point about copying foreign clothing or celebrations would be stronger with a specific consequence or example. The response meets the task requirements; to strengthen it further, develop both sides more evenly and make the comparison behind your final judgement explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on advantages, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion that returns to your position. The progression from cultural learning to possible cultural loss is easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “On the other hand,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” guide the reader. This is a coherent arrangement, though some connections are mechanical and a few references are unclear. For instance, “their religions” does not clearly identify whose religions are meant, and “these problems” groups two different disadvantages without showing how each is addressed. Use more precise referencing and connect each example directly to the claim it supports to make the flow more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your ideas, including “cultural backgrounds,” “traditions,” “unrealistic expectations,” and “cultural values.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “reduce misunderstanding” and “greater respect.” However, several word-choice and collocation problems make the language less natural, including “stay active in social media,” “for show-off,” and “interpret the accurate information.” Spelling slips such as “internaional,” “poeple,” and “expecially” also reduce accuracy. Build a more precise range of collocations and check spelling carefully; this would help you express the cultural effects with greater fluency and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and more complex forms, including a conditional clause in “if people value and respect their own culture” and a relative clause in “which can lead to unrealistic expectations.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions persist. For example, “Several advantages can be noted having the ease…” lacks a clear grammatical link between the ideas, while “may cause them to lose interest” has an unclear reference for “them.” In the opening, “there are some disadvantages that can be overshadowed” is understandable but structurally cumbersome. Aim for clearer clause construction and precise pronoun references, and review sentence boundaries and punctuation. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.