Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-04

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 tend to live most of their lives in living around the same place where they are born. There might be some reasons such as financial constraints, better opportunities or their love towards the tradition and culture of their country. However, this phenomenon has a few advantages as well as disadvantages.

To begin with, there are multiple reasons why an individual likes to spend his/her life in the same place they grew up. Some people might be struggling with financial issues as it would not be affordable for everyone to move abroad. Additionally, many individuals find better career options and broader visions for their future, so they avoid going to a different place. Some people also love their culture and tradition which they truly respect, and it also keep families together.

There are several pros and cons of this situation. In terms of advantages, a person living in the same place he/she is born, would be able to spend time with their family and friends. They can practice their tradition and culture, and enjoy different festivals with their loved once. Moreover, they could contribute the local community and help with further development of their country. However, there some disadvantages as well. People would stick to their routines and would not be able to explore new places or foods. They would not get a chance to learn about different cultures and traditions. For example, if people stay in the same place throughout their lives, would not visit amazing places around the world and try different cuisines.

In conclusion, many people spend their lives living around the place where they are born for a few reasons like better career opportunities, lack of funds and closeness to the culture and tradition. Although it is beneficial that they would spend time with their closed ones while contributing to the country, they would not have opportunity to learn about other cultures or exploring different places

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: reasons, advantages, and disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, while you mention 'financial constraints' and 'better opportunities' as reasons, these points could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The position is clear throughout, and the structure follows the requirements of the task well. To improve, ensure that each main point is supported by a more detailed explanation or a concrete example to demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

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 the different aspects of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow could be smoother. For example, the transition between the advantages and disadvantages in the third paragraph could be more sophisticated. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the essay is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'financial constraints', 'phenomenon', and 'contribute to the local community'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'love towards the tradition' (should be 'love for') and 'enjoy different festivals with their loved once' (should be 'loved ones'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and variety of less common lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. Focusing on more natural collocations and varied synonyms will help improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'living around the same place where they are born' (should be 'where they were born'), 'it also keep families together' (subject-verb agreement error: 'keeps'), and 'there some disadvantages' (missing verb: 'there are'). These errors do not generally impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, and the correct use of articles.

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

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