Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-14

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 recent times, It has been noticed that many people spend most of their life living in their hometown. I personally feel that there are many perks of living far from a place where you were born. But some people contradict and believe living in a hometown provides us safety and comfort. In the upcoming essay, I will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of living in a native place.

One of the major reasons for living in the native place whether it is a city or a village is that, we have all the family and friends with us. They can support us in our low phases of life and we may never fell separated or alone. Moreover, things became easy for us because we know most of the individuals of our area. For instance, all the shopkeepers or workers are one of our neighbours or mates because everyone knows each other especially in small communities.

On the other side, living in a hometown can limit our career options because of limited availability of jobs. This is because, small cities or towns have limited opportunities. Likewise, students can be left behind in their studies, because it is not always possible that we have an appropriate college or university in our area which provides the program, we are interested in. As, it is a well-known fact that most of the renowned organizations are based in big cities. By living far from home, a young individual can achieve a job with a competitive salary which helps them to sustain their life style.

To sum up, living in a hometown with parents and friends could provide us the sense of comfort and relief. But such places often lacks options for higher studies and have limited job opportunities. Therefore, it is clear that living far from one's birth place is significantly advantageous.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: reasons for staying in one's hometown, and the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation regarding career limitations is relevant but could be further extended with more specific examples or deeper analysis of the long-term impact. The conclusion is a bit abrupt and slightly contradicts the earlier balanced approach by stating that living far away is 'significantly advantageous' without fully weighing the previously mentioned benefits of community support. Overall, the response covers the requirements well but lacks the depth required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the reasons, advantages, and disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'For instance', 'On the other side', and 'To sum up' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the slightly awkward phrasing in the introduction regarding the essay's purpose. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between the final paragraph and the rest of the essay could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use some less common vocabulary, such as 'renowned organizations' and 'competitive salary'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'low phases of life' (should be 'difficult phases') and 'sustain their life style' (should be 'maintain their lifestyle'). The range is sufficient for the task, but the lack of more sophisticated or precise vocabulary prevents a higher score. The errors do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'It has been noticed that many people spend most of their life' (should be 'lives'), 'we may never fell separated' (should be 'feel'), and 'such places often lacks' (should be 'lack'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are some unnecessary commas, such as in the first sentence. The errors are noticeable but rarely impede the reader's understanding of the intended meaning.

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