Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11

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)

Some people choose to spend most of their lives in the same area where they were born and raised. This can be attributed to several reasons, such as strong family ties and familiarity with their surroundings. Although staying in one place offer a number of benefits, it can also have some drawbacks.

One of the most compelling reasons people prefer to live close to their birthplace is their attachment with the family. Many individuals have strong emotional connection with their loved ones, which makes it difficult for them to leave their family alone. As a result, they prefer to earn their livelihood, while living closer to their own area. For instance, a person, who is particularly is the only son and daughter of their family, is unlikely to leave the birthplace, so they can fulfill their responsibility towards their parents. In addition, another significant reason is the familiarity with the surroundings. As people spend a considerable amount of time in the same area, they become familiar with the local culture, community and facilities, which makes their lives more comfortable.

Living close to one's birthplace has several advantages. First and foremost, people can maintain strong relationship with their family and friends. This is particularly beneficial when they need emotional and practical support, that helps individuals to live their life with a peace of mind and less stress. Secondly, having familiarity with one's area offers several opportunities to the people to easily start their career and lead their lives more comfortably. For instance, there are many people who starts small business in the same area, where they live for a longer time become successfully lead their career, as they are more aware about the services and products are in demand.

However, it does not free from some drawbacks. Stick to one area limited the opportunities for the people that they can explore by stepping out of their birthplace. Many cities and regions offer excellent qualification and career opportunities which can entirely change people's lives. However, people who prefer to live closer to the same area may unable to grasp these valuable chances. For instance, In Canada, many international students come from developing countries to explore the better way of their life, and many become successful and significantly change their circumstances.

In conclusion, people often remain close to their birthplace because of their family ties, and familiarity. While this can help them maintain strong relationships and enjoy a comfortable life, it may also restrict their career opportunities and exposure to new lifestyle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: reasons, advantages, and disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, the discussion on family ties and the comfort of familiarity provides a clear rationale. The advantages are linked to emotional support and career stability, while the disadvantages focus on missed opportunities. However, the development is occasionally repetitive, and the example regarding international students in Canada is slightly tangential to the core topic of living near one's birthplace. Overall, the position is clear, and the response fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'First and foremost', and 'However' are used to link ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as in the sentence 'It does not free from some drawbacks', where the subject is unclear. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the prompt.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use a range of vocabulary, such as 'attributed to', 'compelling reasons', and 'circumstances'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'stick to one area' (should be 'sticking to'), 'lead their career' (should be 'advance their career'), and 'become successfully lead' (grammatically incorrect). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score. The range is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage. Examples include 'staying in one place offer' (should be 'offers'), 'is the only son and daughter' (awkward phrasing), and 'people who starts small business' (should be 'start small businesses'). Additionally, there are issues with sentence fragments and awkward phrasing, such as 'It does not free from some drawbacks'. These errors are noticeable but rarely impede the reader's understanding of the main points.

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.