Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Everyone has their own standards of living. Many people used to spend their lives near the area where they were born. I will discuss the reasons for this and its pros and cons in the upcoming paragraphs.

Firstly, the reasons behind this are that most people used to live in the same places where they spent their childhood because they had lots of memories there. So, they do not want to go anywhere else. Secondly, they feel secure and connected there. As they have most of their knowns, friends and relatives there. Therefore, they know everything there and it is easy for them.

The advantages of this are that they already know everything since childhood, as this is the place where they were born, and they want to live nearby. Moreover, if they become sick so they can go to the same hospital where they were born because they knew their health and their patients. So, it would be easy for people in their old age as well. Also, people can show their children their birthplace and every other things there as they already knew about those things or places.

There are many disadvantages of this. First of all, they are only familiar with those places or things. For instance, if they move to other places, they have to make a new house and friends there, which is very difficult in these days. Also, they have to find new jobs there. As this costs them too much.

In conclusion, people have to suffer a lot if they move to other places for living from their birthplaces. However, they feel more comfortable and safe to their nearest place to their birthplace.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, covering reasons, advantages, and disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, the argument regarding 'memories' is mentioned, but not expanded upon with depth. The point about hospitals is slightly confusing and lacks logical clarity. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, well-developed examples rather than listing general points. The position is clear, but the overall depth of the response remains at a basic level, which is characteristic of a Band 5.5 or 6.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'every other things there'). The logical progression is present but could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-connected theme. The current structure is functional but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite simple and repetitive. You rely on common words like 'things', 'places', and 'good/easy'. There are some inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'knowns' (instead of 'acquaintances' or 'social circle') and 'nearest place to their birthplace'. To improve, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'relocation', 'familiarity', 'social support networks', or 'career prospects'. The current range is sufficient to communicate your meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or precision needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'if they become sick so they can go' is grammatically incorrect, and 'every other things' shows a lack of subject-verb agreement. Additionally, there are issues with tense consistency and word order. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring that complex sentences are formed correctly without unnecessary 'so' or 'and' connectors.

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

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