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)

It is often argued that some people spend most of their lives living close to where they born. This essay will discuss the main reasons for this trend, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.

There are several reasons why people choose to remain in their hometown. One major reason is strong family ties. For instance, many people prefer to live near their parents and relatives so that they can support them when necessary. Another important factor is financial stability, which makes people more comfortable staying in a familiar environment. Moving to another city or country can involve high costs for accommodation, transportation and other living expenses. consequently, many individuals prefer to build their lives in the same place rather than move somewhere else.

There are several advantages to this choice. The most significant benefit is having a strong support network. This is because people can easily receive help from their family members and maintain close relationships with their friends. For example, parents can help their children with childcare, while adult children can look after elderly parents.

However, living in the same place also has a disadvantage is limited career opportunities. This can be explained by the fact that some towns and rural areas have fewer well-paid jobs and educational institutions. To explain it more, young people living in small towns may have to move large cities to find better employment opportunities.

In conclusion, People may choose to live close to their birthplace because of strong family ties and financial stability. Although this can provide support network and sense of belonging, it may also lead to limited career opportunities and less exposure to different lifestyles.

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, as well as the advantages and disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. The reasons (family ties and financial stability) are well-supported with logical explanations. The advantages (support network) and disadvantages (career limitations) are also clearly identified. However, the development of the disadvantages could be slightly more detailed to reach a higher band. Overall, the essay maintains a clear position and covers all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, such as 'strong family ties' or 'limited career opportunities'. Cohesive devices like 'For instance', 'Another important factor', 'consequently', and 'However' are used to guide the reader through the argument. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the prompt, ensuring the structure remains clear throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. You have used some appropriate collocations such as 'strong family ties', 'financial stability', and 'support network'. However, the range of vocabulary is somewhat standard. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise or less common lexical items to demonstrate a higher level of control. There are no significant spelling errors, and the word choices are generally accurate, though they lack the sophistication required for a band 8 or 9 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as the missing 'are' in 'where they born' and the awkward phrasing 'has a disadvantage is limited'. Additionally, there is a minor error in 'move large cities' (should be 'move to large cities'). Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the grammar is generally functional. To reach a higher band, you should focus on increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring greater accuracy in sentence construction.

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

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