Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-18

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 7.0)

It has become increasingly common for many people to live close to their birthplace for most of their lives. There are various underlying causes for this trend, including advantages and disadvantages.

One main reason for people to spend most of their lives close to their birthplace is the connection with the area. People get attached to the location where they spend the initial years of their life because of memories and relationships they have built there. This emotional connectivity restricts them to move to new location.

Family responsibilities could be another reason for people who spend most of the time of their lives where they were born. When children get younger, or they have settled down, they might prefer to buy a new house near the area where their parents live, so they can visit them easily or take care of them. This flexibility gives them a chance to fulfil their responsibilities without compromising their own privacy.

This trend has several benefits regarding convenience and familiarity. By spending more time in a place since birth, people get familiar with the others living in the neighbourhood, which can offer convenience in terms of need or any emergency, such as looking after the house when the owner is away. Simultaneously, more familiarity with facilities and roads saves time for people while travelling, as they already know where to go to buy essentials and which way to use to get there.

However, this idea of spending most of one's life on birthplace could be associated with some drawbacks as well. These people would not be able to enjoy the experience of living in a different area or a new culture by living in the same location or meeting the same type of people. Additionally, the difficulties of moving and adjusting to new people at a new location are more likely to teach people life lessons of resilience and courage that living in the same place cannot offer. Consequently, these people would experience a dull life.

In conclusion, emotional connection and family responsibilities could compel people to stay at their birthplace for most of their lives. Although this offres advantageous in terms of knowledge and convenience of location to people, the chance of experiencing a new culture and difficulties is snatched from them. To make the most of it, people should keep going on holidays to other places to overcome its drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: reasons, advantages, and disadvantages are all covered. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, such as the discussion on family responsibilities and the psychological benefits of familiarity. However, some points could be extended further to reach a higher band; for instance, the 'disadvantages' section could benefit from more specific examples of how missing out on new cultures impacts personal growth. The position is clear throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points while offering a balanced perspective. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the reasons, advantages, and disadvantages is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'Simultaneously,' 'However,' and 'Consequently' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. While the flow is generally good, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the structure is clear and easy to follow, meeting the criteria for a solid band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for some flexibility. You use some good collocations like 'emotional connectivity,' 'fulfil their responsibilities,' and 'resilience and courage.' There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'When children get younger' (which is logically incorrect) and 'offres advantageous' (a spelling error). While you attempt some less common vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and there is occasional repetition of basic terms. To improve, focus on using more precise academic synonyms and ensuring word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several error-free sentences, which is positive. However, there are persistent grammatical errors, such as 'restricts them to move' (should be 'restricts them from moving'), 'on birthplace' (should be 'in their birthplace'), and 'the difficulties of moving... are more likely to teach people' (slightly awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally accurate, but the frequency of minor grammatical slips prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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