Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-15

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)

Many people prefer to live in their hometown rather than live away from where they were born. There could be several reasons influencing this trend such as familiarity and comfort. Some suggest living far from their own hometown is more beneficial in terms of opportunities and personal development. However, I believe that the advantages of living in their hometown outweigh the disadvantages which I will discuss in the following paragraphs.

One of the main reasons is that people find their birthplace is their roots and stay connected to it, building and strengthening relationships with their families and peers. They can preserve and grow their culture and traditions more than anywhere else. For example, one can take care of their older family members by learning and practicing traditional beliefs and cultural values. Another reason is that they are more familiar and comfortable living there, as they spend most of their lives in the town. Due to their social connections, they would have secured jobs or successful businesses that they grow without the stress of competition.

I believe that there are more advantages than disadvantages to this scenario. People's strong relationships make them feel secure and give a sense of belongingness. They can care for their community and provide help in difficult situations which makes them responsible and dedicated. Additionally, individuals who live close to their family and in the town would live without worrying about buying houses or other major expenses encountered when living far from their birthplace. Also, they can enjoy their heritage and attend special occasions. For example, some places have sacred ceremonies related to their roots that one could attend without spending an excessive amount and save travel costs when living in their hometown.

Overall, residing in the birthplace is a common lifestyle choice among people as they experience strong social connection with comfort and familarity of place. They can enjoy their tradional and cultural festivals and carried forward their values and beliefs to their future generations.

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, as well as the advantages and disadvantages. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the discussion of 'comfort' and 'social connections' appears in both the second and third paragraphs, leading to a lack of distinct separation between the reasons and the advantages. To reach a higher band, you should ensure that each paragraph introduces unique, well-supported points rather than restating similar concepts. The examples provided, such as caring for older family members, are relevant but could be more specific to fully illustrate the points made.

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 ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'One of the main reasons', 'Another reason', and 'Additionally' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. For example, the phrase 'living in their hometown' is used frequently. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and using more sophisticated referencing (e.g., 'this practice', 'such an approach') would enhance the flow and coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'belongingness' and 'dedicated', though some word choices are slightly imprecise or unnatural. There are also a few spelling errors, such as 'familarity' and 'tradional'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring accurate spelling. While the range is sufficient to convey the message, it lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and article usage. For example, 'they grow without the stress' should be 'they can grow without the stress', and 'carried forward their values' should be 'carry forward their values'. Additionally, there are minor issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.

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

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