Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-21

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 individuals prefer to stay at their birthplace and near that place. The main reason behind this is comfort, and many positives and negatives are connected with this trend. Many people like to live their lives where they were born because they are so familiar with their neighbours and surrounding areas. This provides a comfort zone for them as they feel that moving to any new cities and countries means a new lifestyle with a number of new faces and places in life. Sometimes this change can bring some ups and downs in their personal and professional life, which are hated by numerous individuals. Also, many nostalgic memories are associated with a person's birthplace and where they grew up as a child. As a result, they feel so connected with their hometown and home country. I think that this situation fetches few advantages and disadvantages for the local people. The biggest issue is that they are prohibited from well-deserving opportunities, which will help them to develop their lifestyle and career. For example, many career-oriented employees don't accept the offers from multi-national companies due to the fear of leaving their own city, and end up doing an underpaid job for which they are over-qualified. However, by staying in the same city where they were born, they can spend more quality time with their parents and loved ones. This will help them to create a strong bond with the people who are close to their hearts, which helps to reduce stress and depression regarding any personal and professional issues. In conclusion, in my opinion, a feeling of comfort is the main reason why most of the people choose to live their lives in their hometown. This trend brings issues related to the growth of an advancing career, and some benefits as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: reasons for staying in one's birthplace, and the advantages and disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, the discussion on career limitations versus the emotional benefits of staying near family provides a balanced view. However, the development could be more sophisticated; some points, such as the 'nostalgic memories' section, are slightly brief. The position is clear throughout, and the essay maintains a consistent focus on the topic. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported with more detailed explanation or extended examples to demonstrate a deeper exploration of the prompt's implications.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'The main reason behind this', 'Also', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more varied. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt. Overall, the structure is coherent, and the information is presented in a logical sequence that guides the reader through the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate and generally appropriate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'career-oriented', 'multi-national companies', and 'over-qualified'. There are some instances of slightly repetitive or less precise phrasing, such as 'fetches few advantages' (which is an unnatural collocation) and 'ups and downs'. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. The student demonstrates a good grasp of common vocabulary, but more idiomatic expressions or precise academic collocations would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is generally good control over grammar, and errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. For example, 'Many individuals prefer to stay at their birthplace and near that place' is grammatically correct but slightly simplistic. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'a number of new faces and places in life' or 'the local people' (which is slightly redundant in context). The punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence variety is sufficient to maintain the reader's interest. To improve, the student should aim to incorporate more complex grammatical structures with greater precision.

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

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