Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26

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 choose to live in the same area they were born in. There can be numerous reason for this. In this essay we will discuss the reasons for this choice, as well as advantages and disadvantages, along with some relevant examples.

One of the main reasons why people stay in the same place throughout their entire lives could be family. To explain, many people have to take care of their elderly parents, grandparents or children. Therefore, they feel more responsibility towards taking care of them which discourages them from moving to a new place.

One of the main advantages of living in the same place for entire lives is that it can help build a stronger community connections. This is because when people live in a certain town for their entire life it begins to regard the community as a family. Therefore everyone around care for one another and provide support whenever needed. For example, a person who has lived his whole life in the same place will know the community better. As a result, they will feel more safer, at peace and connected to their community.

On the other hand, the disadvantage is that it reduces the chances of personal and professional growth. To elaborate, when young people move to different places, it often opens more career opportunities for them. To cite an example, If a student has completed his bachelor's in marketing, but the town their currently living has no jobs opportunities related to that, they may have to move to different place . As a result, they may have to leave their family, friends and established connections.

In conclusion, people choose to stay in the same place because of their family responsibilities. Although living in the same place provides a sense of comfort and security, it can limit the career and growth opportunities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: reasons for staying, advantages, and disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and logically structured. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the discussion on family responsibilities is clear but could be expanded with more specific detail to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout, and the essay follows a logical flow. To improve, ensure that each point is supported by more nuanced analysis rather than just stating the obvious, which would help in moving from a solid 6.0 to a 7.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'For example', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there is occasional repetition in phrasing (e.g., 'living in the same place'). The progression of ideas is generally smooth, though the connection between sentences could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher score. Overall, the structure is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'professional growth' and 'established connections'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'feel more safer' (should be 'feel safer') and 'their currently living' (should be 'they are currently living'). To improve, the writer should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of synonyms to avoid repetitive language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include 'numerous reason' (should be 'reasons'), 'everyone around care' (should be 'cares'), and 'the town their currently living' (should be 'the town they are currently living in'). These errors do not impede communication, but they demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences and refining subject-verb agreement will help improve the score in this criterion.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.