Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people spend most of their lives living close to where they were born.

What might be the reasons for this?

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.5)

In this contemporary world, many people prefer to live in area where they actually were born. There are several reasons behind this, such as they feel rooted with emotional support or family responsibilities. However, there are several advantages and disadvantages also. In this essay I will discuss the reasons and advantages and drawbacks of choosing this.

To begin with, one of the main reasons is that people feel more connected to their friends and family when they live close to their birthplace. If they face any hardship in life they know their loved ones will be there to support them emotionally. This motivation allows them to stay connected with friends and family. This gives them a sense of security and encourages them to stay close to their hometown. For example, if someone faces financial or personal problems, their family members can provide guidance and help them overcome difficult situations. Another reason is that they became financially strong as people who live in their own houses can save money on rent and other accommodation expenses. Therefore the above-mentioned are the reasons why people prefer to live in the place where they born.

On contrary, one major drawback of this is limited career opportunities. People who look for jobs only in their hometown may miss better employment options in other cities. This can restrict their professional growth and prevent them from gaining experience in different industries. For example, individuals living in small towns may have to move to metropolitan cities to find well-paid jobs in multinational companies. As a result, staying in their hometown can sometimes limit their career development. Another disadvantage is the lack of exposure to different cultures and lifestyles. People who always live in familiar surroundings may have fewer opportunities to meet people from different backgrounds and learn new things. As a result, staying in one place for their entire lives may limit their personal and professional development.

In the conclusion, although there are several positive reasons with supports this statement well such as providing emotional support and save other expenses. However, I strongly believe that there are more drawbacks which hinder one's chance to grow in personal and professional life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both questions: you give reasons for staying near one’s birthplace and discuss advantages and disadvantages, then state that the drawbacks can hinder personal and professional growth. The family-support point is relevant and illustrated with a practical example, while the career and cultural-exposure disadvantages are explained clearly. This meets the task well, and your position is apparent. However, the advantages are less fully developed than the disadvantages: saving rent is mentioned briefly, but its wider benefit is not explained, and the second reason about becoming financially strong is not clearly connected to living near one’s birthplace. To strengthen the response, distinguish reasons from benefits and develop each with a clear explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on reasons and benefits, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. Ideas generally progress logically, and examples follow the points they support. You also use linking expressions such as “For example,” “Therefore,” and “As a result.” At times, however, these links feel repetitive or mechanical, and some references are unclear. For instance, “the above-mentioned are the reasons” does not precisely summarise the preceding points, while “this statement” in the conclusion is vague. The first body paragraph also combines reasons and advantages without clearly separating them. Use more precise transitions and organise each paragraph around a distinct part of the question.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss family ties, employment, and personal development. Phrases such as “sense of security,” “professional growth,” and “different backgrounds” communicate relevant ideas, and the meaning remains clear. There are also attempts at more formal wording, including “financially strong” and “metropolitan cities,” though some choices are imprecise or unnatural. “Feel rooted with emotional support” does not express the intended connection naturally, and “positive reasons with supports this statement” is awkward. Repetition of “stay close,” “hometown,” and “development” also limits flexibility. Aim for more accurate collocations and vary repeated terms; for example, describe people as having “strong ties to their community” rather than being “rooted with emotional support.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional clauses such as “If they face any hardship in life…” and relative clauses such as “People who look for jobs…”. Most sentences communicate their meaning, and the errors do not generally prevent understanding. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, particularly with articles, verb forms, and sentence construction. Examples include “live in area” (missing an article), “where they born” (missing the auxiliary verb), and “they became financially strong” (the tense does not fit the general claim). The conclusion’s “reasons with supports this statement” also has an agreement and structure problem. Review articles and verb forms, and check that each sentence has a complete, grammatically consistent clause.

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